Chapter II

A Critical Study of Mahesh Dattanis Stage Plays

Mahesh Dattani occupies a very distinct and illustrious place in

the realm of Indian drama in English. He has manifested his individuality in so
many ways. His presentation of problems from real life situations is significant
contribution to Indian English Drama. Among modern Indian playwrights, he
stands forth with singular distinctness, striking artistic perception, and
immense dramatic guts. He is the most serious contemporary dramatist in
Indian drama in English. He takes up serious problems prevailing in urban
India. He, very successfully, gives voice to the problems and sufferings of the
marginalized people of our society. His plays contain some important
elements like human pathos, passions, conflict and appeal to human
sentiment, which can immediately touch and stir common audience. He puts
Indian drama in English to the level of world drama. The present chapter
makes an in-depth critical inquiry into the seven stage plays of Mahesh
Dattani. They are as under:

Where Theres a Will - 1988

Dance Like a Man - 1989
Tara - 1990
Bravely Fought the Queen - 1991
Final Solutions - 1992-93
On a Muggy Night in Mumbai - 1998
Thirty Days in September - 2001

Where Theres a Will is one of the four earliest plays of Mahesh

Dattani. The play is a drawing room comedy of a rich businessman, who tries
to control his family even after his death through his will. The play is really
very interesting and appealing. It generates a lot of laughter and mirth among
the spectators. Despite its humorous trait, the play is very introspective and
thought-provoking.

41
 The play Where Theres a Will has many trademark qualities of
Dattanis play. Like other plays, the play has Gujarati milieu and successful
runs on the stage. The play presents how women in their own homes are
marginalized. Though the kitchen or home is described as the kingdom of
women, they are no longer ruling over them. Instead, they are pushed on the
margins of invisibility.It is attributed:

Where Theres a Will has several interesting

aspects. Mahesh described it as the exorcism of
the patriarchal code. Women- be it daughter-in-
law, wife or mistress- are dependent on men and
this play shows what happens when they are
1

Mahesh Dattani excels in fusing western models with native

theatrical tradition. In the same way, his artistic perception is also fine fusion
of both- tragic and comic insight. If Thirty Days in September is the most
solemn play of Dattani, Where Theres a Will is the most comic in tone and
treatment. The play is a satire on the water tight patriarchal code. He satirizes
human follies and foibles in a very interesting way. In fact, no character is
escaped from the stroke of his satire. Like Ben Johnsons Every Man in his
Humor, all the characters are delineated with more or less sarcasm. The
dramatist intends to bring change in society by hitting at the human faults and
follies. It has been rightly observed:

Joy is the essence of life and I have always

believed that theatre should exude delight. Where
Theres a Will is such a play. It is not only thought
provoking and introspective but also provides an
evening of pure entertainment. 2

Where Theres a Will does both delight and teach. The play was
first performed by Playpen at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Bangalore, on 23 rd
September 1988, as part of the Deccan Herald Theatre Festival. The play is
translated into Gujarati and Hindi by Suresh Rajda and Rajendra Mohan

42
respectively. Hindi show was performed in Tanzil Theatres, Mumbai on 25th
December, 1992 under the directorship of Jaspal Sendhu.

The narrative of the play takes places in the lavish house of

Hasmukh Mehta, a doyen businessman and staunch follower of patriarchal
system. The dramatist has introduced the ghost of Hasmukh Mehta to make
watcher of his own actions. The stage is divided into three spaces namely the
fancy dinning cum- living room, the bed room belonging to Hasmukh and
Sonal Mehta, and the hideously trendy bedroom of their son Ajit, and his wife,
Preeti. Hasmukh strictly followed steps of his father in his life. He wants his
own son Ajit follow his footsteps in real life. He exercises the patriarchal
authority over all the members of his family. He believes in absolute power.
The dramatist focuses on fractured interpersonal relationship within the range
of familial relationship. Like all modern families, there is a lack of emotional
attachment and understanding towards others views and opinions. The
character of Hasmukh Mehta can be analyzed in two ways -through his
familial world and business world. He is the boss at the both the spaces. His
relationship is plagued with grievances and unrest at home. However, he is
enjoying the position of the ablest and the perfect boss at the business house.

Thus, Hasmukh Mehta is embodied with patriarchal canons and

tried to control family even after his death through his will. He is both dead
and alive, but his business remains unobstructed and unceasing. The play is
divided into two acts and these two acts are subdivided each in two parts. The
play begins at the lavish house of rich protagonist Hasmukh Mehta.

All the four members of the Mehta family stand in sharp contrast
to their counterparts. Hasmukh Mehta is the autocratic head and demands
unquestionable obedience from his family members, whereas his wife Sonal
is quite subservient and subordinate to her husband. She has no choice of her
own. She has learnt how to execute her husbands instructions and orders in
toto. In this sense, Hasmukh is anti-thesis to her. The play depicts how
women are subjugated and suppressed by their male counterparts in

43
patriarchal social set up.When the play begins, Ajit is talking on phone and
Hasmukh Mehta enters through the main door with his walking staff.

Ajit: (on the phone). Five lakhs. Thats all. Give me five lakhs and Ill
modernize the whole bloody plant. Thats what I tell my dad. I
mean, come on, five lakhs is nothing!

Hasmukh: (to the audience) My son, the business man. Just listen to him.
(CP: 455)

Hasmukh is a self made and led a deprived childhood. He is

forty five year old man. He is described as Garment Tycoon. He criticizes his
son Ajits ways. He observes categorically;
one of the richest men in this city. All by my own efforts. Forty five years old
and I am a success in capital letters. Twenty -three years old and he is on the
road to failure, in bold capital letters... (CP: 464)

Ajit, young man of twenty three years, is the joint managing

director of his fathers factory. According to Hasmukh, he is wasting money
and is on his way to bankruptcy. He makes a very satirical statement that God
has just forgotten to open an account for Ajit.

Hasmukh Mehta is projected as very autocratic father. He

controls and checks the every movement of this son. He wants his son not as
partner or owner of his property, but he wants his own son as a slave. Ajit
Mehta is quite meek and occupies little importance at both the spaces. He can
be called the filial subaltern. The play dramatizes the polities of patriarchy
which doesnt only marginalize the women folk of the family but also other
male members of the family. Hasmukh Mehta has over powered identity of his
son, Ajit, by exercising absolute control over his home and business affairs.
He has no power to use the property of his father in his own way. He is
excluded from decision making process in business. His father is highly ego-
centric and horribly self-opinioned man who doesnt allow Ajit to use his skill
and talents for the business enhancement process. Strangely enough,
Hasmukh Mehta has made Ajit the managing director of his companies.

44
However, he is not supposed to undertake any business errand and affairs at
his own. He has to execute his fathers orders and command keeping his own
say aside.

Ajit: Dont I have any rights at all?

Hasmukh: You have the right to listen to my advice and obey my orders.
(CP: 458)

Like Sonal to Hasmukh, Preeti is counterfoil to her husband Ajit.

Preeti is a young, charming and graceful lady. She expects a baby. She is
quite calculative and assertive lady. Hasmukh knows her well. Therefore, he
says; Thats my daughter-in-law, Preeti, pretty, charming, graceful and sly as
a snake. (CP: 56)

The theatre attempts to articulate mores and manners of the

society intending to cheer people by lifting them from physical, social and
mental problems and afflictions and also offers a piece of advice for leading
life in a healthier and happier way. Dattani plays have Gujarati family as the
setting or locate. The present play Where Theres a Will deals with the
mechanics of middle class Gujarati family, showing how patriarchal canons
control not only the lives of women of the family but also men of the family.

Since Hasmukh was leading businessman of the city, every

newspaper limelighted his death news. His death news appeared in the
newspaper under the caption Garment Tycoon Dead.

Hasmukh:
cutting.) Garment Tycoon Dead. That felt good. You never
really know how famous you are until you are dead. Of course,
its at the bottom of page seven and its only six lines. But look at
the obituary page. Filled with my photographs. All inserted by
different companies. All mine, of course. (Throws the paper
away) Now its all over. My life is over and I have no business

45
 you see, I have made a special will! (Laughs) they are going to
hate me for doing this to them! (CP: 479)

Dattanis plays reveal at the end the skeleton in the cupboard.

Where Theres a Will also has the skeleton in the cupboard. The skeleton is
his mistress and his will. Soon after his demise, the will was read. It sets forth
avenues of varied reaction and revelations, charges and counters charges,
surprises and shocks, protestation and acceptance. There is an air of turmoil
and upheavals in the family of Hasmukh Mehta caused by his will. It was
soon, clear among them that authorization patriarch and garment tycoon will
continue to dictate their lives through the terms and conditions inset in will.
The will can be viewed as whip and mistress can be viewed as the agent. The
will was very complicated and detailed one. As per Hasmukhs instruction,
the lawyer summoned them exactly a one week after his death to read out the
will. As per the will, none of the three Mehta family members has any legal
right over the property of Hasmukh Mehta including their present living room.

Hasmukh has formed a charitable trust named Hasmukh Mehta

Charitable Trust. He has donated all his property including finances, shares
etc. to the trust. As per the will, they get a regular allowance from the trust.
The trust will be dissolved when Ajit Mehta turns forty five. Everything remains
with the trust till he is not forty five. He can use and utilize property and money
after that period.

Further, according to the Will, Ajit has to attend office everyday

at nine and he can leave at six p.m. in the evening. No new business project
of Ajit will be sanctioned. If Ajit and other fail to abide by the terms and
conditions, the trust will donate its funds to various charities as approved by
Hasmukh. Thus, Hasmukh Mehta shuns his family making will and further
more by making Kiran Jhaveri, as the trustee of the trust. He has a kept
namely Kiran Jhaveri who was a very shrewd and hard headed marketing
executive. She lives in company flat in posh locality. Hasmukh has taken
meticulous care and every precautionary step to avoid any challenge to the
validity of his will. He had a qualified physician as a witness number one to his

46
will and attached a certificate stating that signatory was of sound mind etc.
The certificate was signed by their family doctor, Jhunjhunwalla, who attends
him regularly. So contesting the will was out of question.

Hasmukhs personality displays moods and temperament of

business tycoons who throws aside any person not fruitful for the
enhancement of their business interest. Hasmukh is obstinate and adamant,
gritty and gutsy. As a businessman, he is quite alert and accurate. He
promptly grabs opportunity of utilizing other for his business gain and profits.

After sometime, Mrs. Kiran Jhaveri comes to Hasmukhs house

to stay with his family members. So, the family is surprised, rather socked.
They dont want to let her stay with them. However, they decide to keep her
with them after knowing the instructions provided by Hasmukh in his will.
Preeti asks her what if they dont keep her with them:

Preeti: What if we refuse to let you stay with us?

Kiran: (Studies Preeti) As the trustee of the Hasmukh Mehta

charitable Trust, I have the right to make a statement declaring
that since the recipients of the trust, namely you all, are not
complying with the rules set down by the deceased, the holdings
of the trust will be divided between certain charitable institutions
recommended by the founder. Which will mean that you wont
ever get to see even a single rupee earned by your father in-law.
Now will you refuse to let me stay here?

Preeti: Welcome home (CP: 494)

Kiran Jhaveri is a very well preserved woman who looks

anywhere between thirty and forty years. Her husband was a drunkard,
especially fond of imported whisky, Jonnie Walker. He was suspended from
the job for this mal-practice. Sacked from the job, he cant afford buying the
whisky. So he allowed his wife meeting and seeing Hasmukh. Kiran admits:

47
 Anyway, it all worked out to be quite convenient. I got a

you know. (CP: 491)

Preeti is quite scheming and selfish lady. Soon after the reading
of the will, she begins to behave differently. She shows true colour of her
personality. She wants to contest will but all in vain. Hasmukh Mehta has
made it leak proof. No one can find way out. Moreover, he has made Kiran as
the trustee. So, she can put a check her and stops them finding any loophole
in the will.

All the three members of the Mehta family have to learn new
lessons every day under the Madam Jhavari. She is teaching them at home
and office. At home, she is guiding and instructing Sonal and Preeti, whereas
she is taking hard task from Ajit at the office. Now, they realize the very
complexity and toughness of the situation.

Hasmukh ruled his family when he was alive. After his death, he
tried to control his family from his grave through his will. Kiran puts: Hasmukh
was intoxicated with his power. He thought he was invincible. That he could
rule from his grave by making this will. (CP: 508)

Actually, Hasmukh didnt trust any of his family members. He

reserves his doubts about their ways and intentions. He trusted completely in
Kiran Jhaveri, who was working as an executive in his office and has won his
confidence. She has got both brain and body. She caters his physical and
emotional needs. Hasmukh puts: I mean, a man in my position to be
careful. I needed a safer relationship. Something between a wife and a pick-
up. Yes. A mistress! It didnt take me very long to find her. She was right there
in my office. An unmarried lady. Not an ordinary typist or even a secretary. A
shrewd hard-headed marketing executive. If there was any one in my office
who had brains to match mine, it was her. She is now one of the directors of
the company. Not entirely due to her shrewd head. She lives now in a
company flat in a posh locality. I wont tell you where. Well, its walking
distance from here. Convenient for me. All right, whats wrong with having a

48
bit on the side? Especially since the main course is always without salt. Okay,
okay, less salt. (CP: 473)

Hasmukh Mehta has all praise for her. She has fine body to
cater his sensuous desires and brilliant brain to run his business in an
effective manner. No one knows about their affair until he dies. After his
death, the inside saga comes to the forefront as it was also desired by him.
She could succeed in having his accolades. All others have lost his sympathy
and confidence.

Hasmukh criticises her wife by calling her dry and good for
nothing. He calls her mud. To Hasmukh, Ajit is not competent enough to run
his business. He lacks the nitty-quitty of the business world. Only person who
possesses the guts, the shrewdness and proper spirit to reign supreme in
industry is Kiran Jhaveri, who is quite commanding and courting as well as
daring and diplomatic lady.

It seems that initially he succeeds in his intentions. Gradually, he

realizes that his desire to control over his death is collapsing slowly. He has
appointed Kiran to set his family order and check them leading lives in their
own fancies. Moreover, Kiran makes certain revelations about his personality.
Kiran tells Sonal, He depended on me for everything. He thought he was the
decision maker. But I was. He wanted me to run his life. Like his father had.
(Pause) Hasmukh didnt really want a mistress. He wanted a father. He saw in
me a woman who would father him! (Laughs. Hasmukh cringes at her
laughter.) Men never really grow up! (CP: 510)

She added that she felt pity for his attempts at ruling over his
family after his death, through his will. His desire ruling over the family results
from the fact that his family was ruled over by his father. He was just a good
boy to his father throughout his life. Thats why he couldnt tolerate Ajit
objecting to him. He wants Ajit to him as he was to his father. His life was
overshadowed by his fathers and wants Ajits to be overshadowed by his life.

49
 The play focuses on emptiness and uselessness of strict
adherence to patriarchal code. One of the major thematic threads that dissect
from the play is the conflicting relationship between father and son. It depicts
the clash between conservative notions and contemporary generation. Both
father and son have their own view points regarding life and business. The
father strictly believes that he has right notions regarding sons life, whereas
son rejects the idea of complete command over his life. At the very beginning
of the play, Ajit expresses his displeasure regarding his fathers idea. He is
quite young and innovative. He wants to give touch of modernity to his plant.
He needs five lakh rupees. Hasmukh doesnt trust his sons ways of world and
his ability of dealing with business affairs. He considers him zero in business
and practical affairs, whereas Ajit feels that his father is hard-liner and
stubborn fellow. He doesnt respect anybodys say in decision making
process. Hasmukh thinks that his son is very novice and silly in the world of
business. He makes mockery of his son and shows his displeasure towards
his attitude.

Later in the play, Kiran Jhaveri appreciates Ajits invincible spirit

for telling truth on the face of his father. Ajit is not a blind follower of his father
Hasmukhs footsteps as Hasmukh did to his father. However, Ajit doesnt
raise much voice against the autocratic regime of his father. He just
disapproves his fathers views and ideology. Kiran appreciate his
revolutionary spirit in this manner. He may not be the greatest rebel on earth,
but at least he is free of his fathers beliefs. He resists. In a small way, but at
least its a start. That is enough to prove that Ajit has won and Hasmukh has
lost. (CP: 510)

Ajit asserts his individualistic identity. He protests against

parental hegemony. In this sense, father-son relationship is a post colonial
dichotomy of contemporary society. He is content at the idea that he is
defiant. He has challenged the dictatorship of his father.

Ajit: All right. I cant fight him now. He has won. He has won because
hes dead. But when he was alive, I did protest. In my own way.

50
 (laughts) Yes, Im happy I did that. Yes, I did fight back. I did do
peep peep to him! That was my victory. (CP: 501)

Thus, the play dramatises the discord and disharmony between

the father-son relationships.Father and son are shown at constant fight. There
is a nerve-war between them. The play depicts the forced harmony among the
members of the same family. In this sense, the play may be deemed as the
postcolonial protest against the colonilaizations of self and identity.

Sonal Mehta is the most tragic-comic character in the play. She

lacks self confidence and discreet. She is a parasite creature in the play. Her
life is dominated by others. In the play, she constantly depends on her sister
Minal in every matter of her life. Her character lends a humorous touch to the
play. Tragedy of her life is that most characters in the play blame her by one
or another way. After the arrival of Kiran in her house, her condition becomes
more pathetic and now she has to depend upon the mistress of her husband.
However, she found a good friend in her soon. Sonal has learnt so many new
lessons and also new things about her husband through Kiran. Therefore, she
tells Kiran. How little I knew him. If I had understood him when he was alive,
I would have died laughing. (CP: 510)

Thus, a sea change occurs in her nature and thinking at the end.
Her attitude towards her sister and other is totally changed. The play ends her
denying any help from her sister Minal.

Kiran: (to Sonal) Your sister just said some of the rudest things to me.

Sonal: Oh, did she? Give me the phone. (On the phone) Hello? Yes,
Minal, this is Sonal!
dont another maharaj, not from you at least! ...I just dont,
thats all... Well, as far as Im concerned you can go jump into a
bottomless pit! (Slames the phone down and turns towards
Kiran) (CP: 516)

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 Dattanis plays peep into the past and find out the reality. His
peeping into past is not myth-seeking attempt, but he dives into the past for
bringing out the reality lying in the darkness, at the dark bottom of the past.
The realization of past error helps the character understanding present in a
better way. It has got modern relevance. It is because of this; his plays are
seen and enjoyed again and again.

The play Where Theres a Will shows that there is no significant

improvement in the plight of the women as though there is spread of
education and progress of mankind in almost all the human sectors. It seems
that male pride or ego is the root cause of the present plight of the women in
our society. Earlier, it was strongly believed that empowerment of women can
be done through imparting proper education and employment. The play seeks
to present that education and economical empowerment has failed to improve
the quality of womens lives in our society. This is quite explicit through the
conversation between Kiran and Sonal. Kiran is well educated and employed
in the office of Hasmukh Mehta, who later on, raises her to the position of
directorship. Sonal is not fortunate enough to have proper access to
education. So, she considers Kiran a fortunate lady. This is how Kiran falsifies
Sonals notion by narrating her unhappy past.

Sonal: You are so lucky. You are educated, so you know all this.

Kiran: Wrong. I learnt my lessons from being so close to life. I learnt

my lessons from watching my mother tolerating my father when
he came home every day with bottles of rum wrapped up in
newspapers... (CP: 508)

It is quite identical that women are suffering on account of no

fault of their own. Nor are they suffering due to lack of education and
employment. They are the victims of mans vain pride and false ego. They are
striving to avoid onslaught of male chauvinism.It is observed:

Interweaving his narrative around the scheming

and plotting of the family members who apparently

52
 have been put in a fix by a dead mans will, Dattani
explores the dichotomy between the male/female
roles within the archetype of the family headed by
a man and what happens when a woman takes
over. 3

Dattani is considered as the spokesperson of the marginalized

people. His plays display his deep concern for gendered subaltern i.e. the
marginalization of women.The present play presents two kinds of images of
the women. Firstly, there is a woman who suffers throughout her life. Sonal
Mehta has been victimized and exploited by the patriarchal social system.She
is silent sufferer. Secondly, there are women who contend with patriarchal
unjust authority for their right and equities. Kiran Jhaveri, and Preeti are bold,
assertive and at times, defiance. They dont let patriarchal authority rule over
their lives. Of course, both these women are shrewd and money minded.
They are scheming and cunning. However, they have guts to contest with
what is not right from their point of views.

Dattanis dramatic art frequents between the centre and the

margin. In this play, Kiran occupies periphery. She is living at the outskirt
rather in the darkness. Soon after the demise of Hasmukh, she appears to the
front and takes over the Mehta Group of Industries through the will made by
Hasmukh. She has become the symbol of Hasmukhs passion and power,
amour and authority.

Dattani reflects on the issue of gender roles and their miserable

plights. Even in modern times, women are being treated as sex object and
exploited physically and mentally. Feminine self has not been restored yet.
The dramatist is worried at the continuation of sorry state of women from one
generation to another one. The wrath and anguish of the dramatist can be
perceived through the following utterances of Kiran.

Kiran: Inst it strange how repetitive life is? My brothers. They have
turned out to be like their father, going home with bottles of rum
wrapped up in news papers. Beating up their wives. And I-I too

53
 am like my mother. I married a drunkard and I listened to his
swearing. And I too have learnt to suffer silently. Oh! Where will
all this end? Will the scars our parents lay on us remain forever?
(CP: 508)

Dattani foregrounds the people thrown to the periphery for giving

vent to their pent up fillings. Such characters interact directly with psyches of
the audience and thereby make audience self-critical of their own thoughts
and ideas.

Dattani extensively exorcises patriarchal code through his

dramatic art. Hasmukh Mehta wants unquestionable obedience and
unchallengable authority at home and at the office respectively. Therefore, he
doesnt allow growing the self of his son, Ajit who defies the autocratic father,
but he fails to articulate his own space. He doesnt cow tow to patriarchal
authority. Nor does he revolt against him significantly. He just tries to assert
his identity before his father.

The introduction of supernatural element is a very humourous

and interesting one. The most amazing thing is that the ghost of Hasmukh
Mehta watches his own actions after his death. So, the play has two
Hasmukhs- the dead and the alive.It is observed:

What interested me particularly was its

philosophical twist. To be the watcher of ones self
is to make intelligent changes in this life. In Where
Theres a Will, has control over his family through
his money and forgoes an opportunity to improve
his interpersonal relationship. As do most of us.
Consequently, when he became the watcher of his
actions, he perceives that his desire for control has
led him to be the victim of his own machinations
unlike Kiran who uses power play to essentially
improve her relationships. 4

54
 Where Theres a Will dramatizes the social realism in a very
comical and satirical way. The play is replete with laughter and mirth. The
tone of sarcasm and humour runs throughout the play. Dattanis creative
genius handles sobriety and humour side by side very successfully. The
familial interaction is often very comical and satirical.

One of the most notable things is that the names of all the
characters signify certain virtues and ideas, but none of the characters act
according to the virtue or merit symbolized by their names. For example,
Hasmukh meaning a smiling face. Hasmukh never provides his family
members the opportunity to smile. In the same way, Ajit means
unconquerable. Ajit cant win free heart accolades from Hasmukh.

The ghost of Hasmukh generates a lot of laughter and mirth in

the drama. It observes and analyzes posthumous activities and events taking
place in his own house. When alive, he has managed to dictate the rules and
regulations for controlling the members of his family by preparing a will. He
has invested powers and authority in Kiran Jhaveri to carry out the business
and household affairs as per terms and conditions specified by him, but the
ghost is disappointed when it sees that Kiran is using power so invested in her
for strengthening her own interpersonal relationships with the members of
Hasmukh Mehtas family. This is how the ghost of Hasmukh expresses its
displeasure. You are here to set my family in order. Dont forget your job.
(CP: 508)

The play is both funny and philosophical. The dramatist mingles

them in a very innovative and meaningful way.It has been analyzed:

invisible presence of Hasmukh especially after his

appearance as Ghost, his mate observations and
the free display of the inner feelings of different
characters against the authority of Hasmukh, is a
unique device for self assessment for the
characters. 5

55
 The play ends with Sonals assertion of confidence in Kiran
denoting the newly developed bondage of mutual understanding and trust
between the wife and the mistress.

Dattani exploits the death of Hasmukh as a

dramatic device - the soul of Hasmukh surveying
and commenting on the ongoing affairs, the
ensuing responses all these definitely have
comic overtones but simultaneously these are also
imbued with philosophical import.6

When alive, Hasmukh was suffering from certain diseases like

high blood pressure, high cholesterol etc. The ghosts remark about this is
quite comical: Theres nobody home. Ah! (Rises and stretches) It feels good
to be dead. No more kidney problems, no backaches, no irregular heartbeats,
(CP: 479)

The play exposes the illusion of perfect and complete control

over the family for a longer period. Here the question arises in our mind why a
man aspires too much for authority and power. Does it signify any value of
life? Apparently- it doesnt attach any meaning to human existence. Nor does
it help in improving quality of human life. Dattani is convinced that it is an
attempt to make oneself secure and survive. So, mans drive for the
domination arises out of his own apprehension of insecurity.

Though Where Theres a Will is described as a drawing room

comedy, it functions better than a tragedy in its effect and appeal on the
minds and hearts of the audience. The play has thematic richness, brilliant
dialogue delivery, touch of humor and satire, suitable dramatic structure. It is
assumed:

Satire, irony, gallows, humor and other mutations

of comic spirit will be the guiding force of our
theatre in the coming years and tragedy has little

56
 to offer to rebellious generation obsessed by the
danger of mega deaths. 7

The dramatist mainly reflects on the issues of gender

discrimination and evil of patriarch along with host of other issues like father-
son, husband-wife relationship, evil of capitalism in the post colonial purview.
Hasmukh blames his wife for his own extra-marital relationship. Hasmukh
observes:
enjoyed sex. Twenty five years of marriage and I havent enjoyed sex with
her.So what does a man do? I started eating out. Well, I had the money. I
could afford to eat in fancy places. And what about my sex life? Well, I could
afford that too. Those expensive ladies of the night in the five star
hotels!(Smiles at some pleasan
Something between a wife and a pick-up. Yes. A mistress! It didnt take me
(CP: 473)

Hasmukh Mehta has no respect and love for his wife Sonal. She
is to him good for nothing. In fact, she is a chaste and obedient wife, but what
Hasmukh expects from wife is something disgusting one. As he says; Then I
should be very happy man. Ive got a loving wife who has been faithful to me
like any dog would be. (CP: 473)

His word throws ample lights on the fact that Hasmukhs notion
of faithful wife is as good as faithful dog that acts as per provided training
without using her own discretion. Actually, Sonal is innocent and ignorant
woman who doesnt know about his sexual lust and his enjoyment with night
women. She is devoted and descent wife, but her husband is perverted and a
rude creature. At the end, Sonal and Kiran join hands to eradicate the evil of
sexual colonialism. They are endowed with the ability to assess and
subsequently shaking off the unjust shackle of patriarchy.

As a matter of fact, all trouble comes out of Hasmukhs false

notions of joy and happiness of life. He considers domination as the only and
final system which can bring joy and happiness in the family. Ironically he fails
to understand that domination kills joy of human heart and soul. Domination

57
flourishes killing others self and identity. It is, in fact, biggest hurdle in building
up the premise of happiness.It is rightly observed: The garb of authority
maintained by Hasmukh was method to save his own inner self from clashes
of the outside world. 8

The play has philosophical twist and a happy end. The play
explores the deteriorated inter-personal relationship among members of the
same family. The viewers witness father v/s son, husband v/s wife. All are
shown at war and running after money. The play stands as an outstanding for
showing the protagonists as the watcher of his own action. He realizes that he
has been made victim of his own mechanism. He vested in Kiran with powers;
to fulfill his desire for his posthumous control over family, but she exercises
these powers to improve her relationship. The ghost of Hasmukh witnesses
that he has been dismissed as a shadow of his father, a man to be pitied on, a
man without his own dreams and desire, vision etc.

The play Dance Like a Man, a stage play in two acts, is one of
the most wonderful dramatic creations of Mahesh Dattani. The stage
performance of the play has earned a critical acclaim in India and abroad. In
this play, Dattani explores pathos of human predicament in the subtlest way. It
embodies a brilliant study of human relationships as well as human
weaknesses. The play depicts the clash between issues such as marriage,
career and the place of a woman in patriarchal social set up. It deals with the
lives of the people who feel exhausted and frustrated on account of the hostile
surroundings and unfavourable circumstances. The story is unfolded in time
past and time present.

The play was first performed at Chowdiah Memorial Hall,

Bangalore on 22 September 1989 as a part of the Deccan Herald Theatre
Festival. Later on, it was staged at the NCPA Experimental Theatre, Mumbai
on 14 February, 1990 under the directorship of Mahesh Dattani. It was also
enacted by Prime Time in 1995 under the directorship of little Dubey. Still this
production company continues to tour occasionally.

58
 The stage has multilevel sets. The place is a dimly-lit room in an
old fashioned house in the heart of the city. Behind the entrance of this room,
there is a modern looking rear panel which helps in revealing a garden and a
dance practice hall at upstage left. The furniture arranged in the room is at
least forty years old. The garden and living room symbolizes the past and
present with the help of flashback device and split scenes device. The play
presents the flux of conscience dealing with past and present scenarios.

The first act begins with conversation between Lata and Viswas
and ends with Jairajs revolt against his father. Jairaj and Ratna leave the
house of Amritlal Parekh to get rid of rules and regulations imposed upon
them by him.The second act begins with Amritlal censuring Jairaj and Ratna
who are standing patiently. The time is 1940S - two days later Jairaj and
Ratna left home and evidently they have comeback, defeated.

The play Dance Like a Man, a saga of domestic conflict,

revolves around the lives of 62 years old Bharatnatayam dancer, Jairaj
Parekh and his wife, Ratna, who is also a Bharatnatayam dancer. They are
living, with their only daughter Lata, in the old fashioned but a big house,
which is situated in the heart of the city. Lata is an aspiring and promising
young dancer. She finds herself in love with a young man named Viswas and
has decided to marry him provided her parents accept Viswas as their son-in-
law.

All the action of the play takes place at the present living room of
Jairaj Parekh. Since the play oscillates between time past and time present,
the present living room often changes into a rose garden, which denotes past
events and presents, Amritlal Parekh, father of Jairaj, as the head of the
patriarchal family system.The living room is associated with present showing
Jairaj and Ratna in their sixties and rose garden indicates past showing Jairaj
and Ratna as a young couple. With the change of spot light, the scene keeps
on changing. Dattani has managed economical arrangement of the actors. All
the performers are assigned double role. In all, there are four performers. Out
of the four, three perform the dual roles. Young boy performer plays the role

59
of young Jairaj and Viswas, Latas fianc and young lady performer plays the
role of young Ratna as well as Lata. Only the old woman performer is
assigned a single role i.e. role of older Ratna. The older Jairaj also plays role
of his father Dattani is quite aware of the dynamics of theatre and proper
usage of available resources. Economy of actors imparts a rare touch to the
play.

The spotlight keeps on picking past and present scenario. Shift

in the consciousness, split scenes technique etc. are employed in the drama
to connect the past with the present. By skillful combination of
cinematographic and narrative device, Dattani makes theatre more suitable
for Indian milieu.When the play begins; Vishwas has arrived at Jairajs house
for seeking approval from Latas parents about his marriage with Lata. Jairaj
and Ratna have gone out to see the health of their musician, C. V. Srinivas,
who has tripped and broken his arm. In the beginning, there is a lovely
conversation between Viswas and Lata.

Like Lata, Vishwas is also the only son of his parents. Unlike
Lata, Viswas has no heart for art and dance. His father runs mitthai shop on
the commercial street in the town and owns half of the building on the road.
He is one of the moneyed persons of the town. Viswas helps his father in the
family business of selling sweets.

From their conversation, we also come to know that before

marriage, Jairaj and Ratna also were good friends and stayed in the same
mohalla. Jairaj has a very big dance hall in his house. In her childhood, Lata
enjoyed watching her parents practicing dance in the hall. After the marriage,
she also expects Vishwas allow her to practice at this hall.

The play encapsulates their present tension and past struggle

as well as their present efforts and past discontentment. They reflect upon
their past struggle, success and failures as the dancers. This unveils seeming
harmony between the two and puts forth a marriage discord and domestic
conflict that forms the substance of the play.The opening scene of the play

60
provides important information about all the people of the play and their social
and family background. Thus, it functions as an exposition of the play.

After sometime, Jairaj and Ratna appear on the stage. The

arrival of Jairaj and Ratna changes a very happy atmosphere of the play into
a sad one. They are highly perturbed about Latas performance. Lata is to
perform at a high profile dance festival and their mridangist is unfit to
accompany her at the performance. Their extreme worry and concerns about
Latas performance at high profile dance party sets aside the matrimonial
conversation for which they have gathered.

They have gathered to talk about Latas marriage with Viswas.

They do not talk about marriage, but they are talking about the performance.
Jairaj and Ratna pick up quarrel time and again. They criticize and blame
each other revealing their past struggle as dancers. So, Viswas advises them
not to throw mud at each other. Ratna develops much tension and feels
headache. She is frustrated and recalls her father-in-law, Amritlal Parekh, who
didnt like his sons career as a dancer. In spite of a seeming harmony, it soon
becomes clear that there is a little joy and satisfaction in their married life.
Viswas makest to leave the house because of quarrel between Jairaj and
Ratna. So, Jairaj insists him to stay and have discussion over his marriage
with Lata. He also expresses his regret for not showing proper hospitality.
Viawas informs him about his family background and business. Jairaj also
informs Viawas about his father who had also made money from buildings.
Jairajs father was one of the richest persons in the town. He spent his money
helping others, but he didnt invest his money for his sons hobby or desire.
Jairaj condemns his father for helping others.

After knowing Viswas family background and business

especially his willingness to allow Lata dance after marriage, Jairaj and Ratna
agree upon the marriage between Lata and Viswas. After the departure of
Viswas, Jairaj and Ratna, again, reflect upon their past struggle as dancers.
They have to satisfy themselves with the realization of being average
dancers. So they, now, hope to have good performance of Lata.

61
 Dattani has used time shift technique in the play. Amritlal Parekh
was a man of liberal ideology, but he didnt like his sons obsession with
dance. So, he strongly objected his sons obsession of dance and his
association with other dancers. He also checked the movements of Ratna.
Many a time, there had been quarrel between father and son. The father is
traditional and the son is modern in his ways of life. The father symbolizes
traditional values, whereas the son symbolizes modern outlook. The father
and the son are shown constantly at war.

The play is a bitter commentary upon a patriarchal family

system. The playwright shows us how the autocratic father tries to check the
movements and manners of his son and his daughter-in-law, although the
father is considered as a man of progressive ideas and liberal views. The play
dramatizes the conflict between the age and the youth through the characters
of the old father and the young son. The family ties and marriage discord are
highlighted through series of conflicts among the members of a single family.
Amritlal Parekh upholds the traditional values, whereas his son, Jairaj, seeks
to overthrow it through his course of action.

Jairaj: I cant even have a decent rehearsal in this house.

Amritlal: You cant have a decent rehearsal in this house? I cant have
some peace and quiet in my house! Its bad enough having had
to convert the library into a practice hall for you. (CP: 414)

Despite being a social reformer, Amritlala doesnt like his

daughter-in-law Ratnas association with a devdasi and learning art of dance
at her house as he fears of being spoiled his family reputation. The play
highlights the stigma that clings to the life of a devdasi, the dancer of the
temple.

Amritlal: We are building ashrams for these unfortunate women!

Educating them, reforming them...

62
Jairaj: Reform! Dont talk about reform. If you really wanted any kind of
reform in our society, you would let them practice their art. (CP:
416)

Amritlal thinks that supporting and allowing them to practice their

art is an indirect encouragement for open prostitution, but Jairaj has high
regard and respects for them and their art.

Jairaj: Send them back to their temples! Give them awards for
preserving art. (CP: 416)

Amritlal holds a very different view and believes that the most of
them have nothing to do with their art and engaged in trading of blood and
flesh. So they are not suitable for temples.

Amritlal: I will not have our temples turned into brothels!

Jairaj: And I will not have any art run down by a handful of stubborn
narrow minded individuals with fancy pretentious ideals. (CP:
416)

Amritlal also tries to control the movement and manners of

Ratna. In this way, the clash between the tradition and the modernity is
heightened through the conflict between Amritlal and Ratna. Amritlal knows
that Ratna is going to visit a devdasi instead of going to temple.

Amritlal: You know very well where, because thats where you go every
Monday!(Ratna does not respond.) It was fortunate for me that it
was Patel who saw you going there. I can trust him to keep his
mouth shut. He called me, out of concern for our family name.

Ratna: I havent done anything to spoil the family name. (CP: 419)

Further,

Ratna: Yes. My husband knows where I go and have his permission.

63
Amritlal: Your husband happens to be my son. And you are both under
my care. It is my permission that you should ask for (CP: 420)

Ratna is determined to learn the art of abhinaya from Chenni

amma, who is oldest living exponent of the Mysore school and is the only link
they have with the old school. Moreover, she is of seventy-five and dying.
Hence, it was important for both Chenni amma and Ratna to impart and to
receive knowledge of art. Ratna asserts: You cant stop me from learning
art! (CP: 421) Amritlal strongly objects Ratnas dancing in old ladys courtyard
as he says: And people peer over her walls to see my daughter-in-law
dancing in her courtyard. (CP: 420) Ratna calls her dancing as divine activity.
As she puts: Yes, Dancing the divine dance of Shiva and Parvati. (CP: 420)

Thus, the play also focuses on the plight of devadasis. In fact,

all the forms of dance and drama are connected with religious ceremonies
and rituals. The drama has its roots in temples and church. Here
Bharatnatyam has close connection with temples. Devadasis performed the
dance of bharatnatyam in the tesmple.They were paid for their services by the
temple authorities. Gradually, the evil of sexual exploitation did enter here and
spoiled the image of devadasis. Since they were poor, they were exploited to
gratify the sexual desires of the priests and other rich people. In this way, a
stigma was associated with their lives and their profession, bharatnatyam.
Further, this form was greatly discouraged on the pretext that it was too erotic.
However, it began to reappear in the pre-independence period with the efforts
and interest of some genuine lovers of this art form. To the question: could
you tell me more about your other plays? By Rana Uniyal, Dattani replies;

Well, the other play which I think I could talk about

is Dance Like a Man which is because we talked
about my Bharatnatyam background. It is about
Bharatnatyam dancers. Again in their old age,
when they are in their 60s and they are looking
back on to their struggling days, when they had
their ideals and in the 50s where there was a

64
 stigma attached to the dance forms; that it is a
dance form of the Devdasis. Its a prostitutes
dance and people from respectable families didnt
perform or practice that dance form. It is doubly
difficult for the man. You know, what business
does a man have learning a prostitutess dance.
So it brings about gender roles, what is expected
of gender as well. And also the tensions between
the couple and how, they solve, how they felt that
they used their relationship to develop their
careers, dances and how they reconcile to the fact
9
that the time wasnt right for them.

With the shift of consciousness in the past, Amritlal Parekh

appears on the scene. He has no heart or love for art. He speaks about art
very contemptuously.He forbids Jairaj mixing with other dancers especially
imitating the manners of his Guruji. He asks Jairaj not to invite his Guruji at
their house because he strongly dislikes ways and manners of the Guruji.

Amritlal: He will not come here tomorrow. I will send him a personal letter
of regret.

Jairaj: (to Amritlal). As long as we are under your care Moves

towards the bedroom.) (CP: 423)

Jairaj and Ratna leave the house as the protest against

traditional notions and restrictions imposed upon them by Amritlal. Jairaj
becomes highly excited and agitated. He doesnt want to stay even a minute
further and resolves to never set a foot in the house again.

Jairaj: We dont need anything fancy. (Turns around and speaks

defiantly) As from now we are no longer under your care. And
will never be again. Never. (Exits followed by a bewildered
Ratna.) (CP: 424).

65
 In this way, Jairaj and Ratna go away from their house. The
clash between the father and the son symbolizes the clash between tradition
and modernity. It is a battle between traditional and conservative father and a
son with modern outlook. They go away, throwing old restrictions to the wind.
His determination and tenacity to adhere to what he wishes to do compel him
to leave the house.

play that examines authority and prejudice socially

and culturally and as we sit in the dark watching
the story unfold between time past and time
present, Mahesh Dattani forces us to examine our
own individual and collective consciousness.10

Jairaj makes himself free from the clutches of autocratic father

and also from the unwritten laws of family conduct. This is the climax of the
play. The spectators witness their retreat and feel a sense of pity and
sympathy for them, as they come back after two days. They might have
realized that the house of their autocratic father is better than the world that
exists outside. This suggests that they have been exposed to the hostile
surroundings that make them feel frustrated and exhausted. Actually, the
hostile surrounding is the very root cause of the frustration. Modernity tastes
the fruit of defeat. The youthful rebellion started against the rigid and stubborn
age is subdued. Jairaj yields to his old fathers whims and fancy
compromising with his revolutionary spirit. There is a notable change in
Jairajs mind. Highly spirited and rebellious Jairaj turns into a very submissive
and polite person. The spectators, sitting in the dark, watch the transformation
of assertive and adamant Ratna into submissive and subservient lady. She
has become gentle, reliant and polite. Jairaj also passes through a process of
transformation, which signifies for him a change from rebel to subservient.
They kow tow to unwritten laws of family conduct and also accepts the rules
and code of conduct provided by the tautocratic father.

66
 Or course, a change also occurs in the mind of Amritlal Parekh.
He doesnt make them feel ashamed of their defeat. He allows his son to
dance and asks him to take up dance as a profession not as a hobby and also
becomes ready to provide money. However, he doesnt consider dance a right
place for investing money. More so, he allocates his library hall to be used as
practice hall for the dance.

The clash between tradition and modernity is also suggested

through the marriage between Viswas and Lata. As Vishwas says: My Father
almost died when I told him Im marrying outside the caste. Wait till he hears
this. (CP: 389) Of course, the dramatist just makes a hint at it. He doesnt
stop to elaborate it.

The play also throws some light on the tragic death of their
baby, left to the care of an ayah. It would not be improper to say that their
excessive concern for dance diverts them from their care for the baby. Many a
time, Jairaj and Ratna would come late at night and the baby was taken care
of by ayah at such nights. Being busy with dance, they couldnt take proper
care of the baby. Their excessive involvement in dance becomes an indirect
cause of the death of the baby, Shankar.

Jairaj and Ratna managed Sheshadri as a musician at the

dance party and did every possible effort for the success of their daughter.
Actually Ratna did painstaking efforts for Latas best performance. Lata
performed as per their expectation and won acclaim from one and all. She
becomes the most famous dancer. She dwells at the summit of success.
Jairaj and Ratna are very happy for having had Latas best performance. She
received rave reviews and recognition even beyond her expectations. The art
of dance has placed her above all. She is described as the Shining Star. The
success of Lata generates discussion and debate among the members of the
family. The art has its merits and demerits. It gives name and fame. It also
begets jealousy and grievance among the members of the family. Latas
performance was appreciated by chief minister. Now they want Lata perform
at national festival in Canada and also expect the same success therein.All

67
the leading critics gave reviews about her performance, So, Ratna thinks that
her hard work is rewarded. This makes Jairaj jealous of her. Ratna receives
call from Dr. Gowda. She talks,

reason to be thrilled. And if a person no less than the president

Lata finished her tillana

Jairaj (looks up from his paper). He was in a hurry to go to the

toilet. (CP: 428)

Dattanis works display the theme of frustrations ensuing from

the conservative and conventional as well as unfriendly surroundings. He
develops our perception of marriage discord through a several devices. The
play also shows psychological conflict resulting from a strong desire for being
national celebrities. The play has been designed in such a way that it leaves
no room for misconception in our visual conception of a scene. This is
important because Dance Like a Man alternates between past and present
events.

With all his brilliant qualities, ripe scholarship and clear

visualizing power and with his artistic perception, Dattanis Dance Like A Man
leaves in readers minds a very vivid and long lasting impression. He
constructs his plots from his own materials.

Dattanis language is simple, lucid and realistic. His characters,

sometimes, use words from regional languages. The words like nritya,
abhinaya, abhitiaya etc. are used. By using, words from regional language,
which is known as pidgin, he proves himself to be a realist. Native words,
terminology of Bharatnatyam and English expressions are mixed in a very
natural way.

From a retrospect of what has been said, it may safely be

deducted that Dattanis Dance Like a Man embodies the theme of clash

68
between the tradition and the modernity along with issues of gender, marriage
and career in a very interesting and artistic manner and display some
wonderful qualities of its author which makes Dattani writer of world stature.

The theme of clash between tradition and modernity has already

been assessed by a number of authors, but Dattani has provided a variety
and vividness to this theme. Dance Like a Man has been hailed as wonderful
and engrossing play. The play displays its deep concern for family harmony
and approach for a social reformation, which makes it a unique piece of art.
The play ends with a compromising tone. They survive by making
compromise with their revolutionary and rebellious spirit. The play ends with
following memorable words:

We were only human. We lacked the grace. We lacked the

brilliance. We lacked the magic to dance like God. (CP: 447)

Jairaj and Ratna realized the futility and limitations as human

beings. They realize that they lack the grace and brilliance because they are
human beings. They also realize their past mistakes and limitations. They
dance together with a remarkable change of heart and develop better
understanding. There is an overwhelming passion and ambition for the dance
in Jairaj and Ratna throughout the play though they didnt achieve the laurels
as dancers. The final words lend a unique touch to the play.It brings
reconciliation of the conflict and resentment they underwent throughout the
lives. It is observed:

It is state of the elevation of human consciousness

that wraps the distinction of male and female into a
state of wholeness, corresponding with the
rhythm of life. In his self discovery, Jairaj discovers
the divine essence of human self that is neither
male nor female. 11

In the play, there is fine juxtaposition between past and present,

individual self and collective self. Here the dramatist appears to be attempting

69
midway between theatrical and narrative device. The play depicts mans
desire and perpetual conflict resulting from mans longing and ways of
destiny. What constitutes the theatrical structure of the play is constant
conflict between the individual self with society, conventions and traditions of
the family. The shifts and movements of the play are very corresponding with
the technique of stream of consciousness. This device helps the dramatist to
present the grotesque and fragmental pictures of life. Little Dubey observes in
the following way:

It is beautifully crafted the way it moves back and

forth in time, its use of one actor to play more than
one role which really tests the actors talent, makes
it as unique as does the strong characterization
and the seamless movement in time. 12

Literature suggests; it doesnt state. A good work of art has rich

suggestive feature. The play Dance Like a Man has psycho-philosophical
implications and suggestions. The message is encoded in the page by the
dramatist, but it is decoded by the stage production of the play. The vivacity of
dialogues and performance enables the dramatist unfold his story in an
effective and appealing manner. It is observed:

The play Dance Like a Man begins with a socio

cultural spectrum, passes through psycho-cultural
dynamics and culminates in psycho-philosophical
suggestiveness and here lies the strength and
distinction of Dattanis art. 13

Identity crisis is oft repeated idea in the plays of Dattani. In the

present play, he dramatizes the identity crisis in the life Jairaj Parekh, a
dancer. It is identical that he has to shape and reshape his personality in
accordance with the ideas and expectations of other people. Amritlal Parekh,
his father, is very conservative and rigid person. He has his own notions and
ideology, which he imposes upon Jairaj who protests, but Jairaj fails and
yields to the desires and dreams of his father and also of his wife. In fact, he

70
knows what he wants to be, but his father wants him to shape his personality
in his own way. He thinks that Jairaj is not growing as a man. So, Amritlal
wants Jairaj, as adult, and asks Ratna to help him in the process.

Amritlal: Help me make him an adult. Help me to help him. Grow up.

Ratna: How?

Pause.

Amritlal: It is hard for me to explain. I leave it to you. Help me and Ill

never present you from dancing. I know it will take time but it
must be done.

Ratna: I will try. (CP: 427)

The play also discusses theme of the established and accepted

mores and manners of the society. The dramatist has shown Jairaj as a
bharatnatyam dancer, his fathers objection to this, and his wifes league with
her father-in-law for saving her own freedom, for continuing her own practices
as a dancer.

The character of Ratna is quite different from Jairaj who suffers

the most in the drama and feels isolated in drama. Ratna joins hands with
Amritlal for growing Jairaj for nurturing her motives. She embeds her own
dreams and desires in Lata. She identifies herself with Lata and derives
satisfaction. After reading rare review of Lata in a newspaper, she says;

Ratna, (shouting) I heard. Rave reviews! The star of the festival

critics. My hard work has paid off, hasnt it? Hasnt it? (Takes the papers and
makes for the bedroom) (CP: 439)

The patriarchal hegemony and post colonial dichotomy is

highlighted through the clash between Jairaj & Amritlal. Individual identities
and choices are denied under the power of patriarchy and also of wealth.
Amritlal claims himself as the man of liberal minded ideology, but he is not

71
man of progressive ideology in true sense of term. Thats why Jairaj tells truth
on his face;

Jairaj: Dont pretend. It suited your image- that of a liberal minded

person -to have a daughter-in-law from outside your community.
(CP: 415)

Many of Dattanis plays explore the idea of liberal mindedness.

He has exposed so called liberal minded people in his plays. Mithran
Devanesen inquires:

Are we the liberal-minded persons we would like to

believe that we are or do we blindly kowtow to
unwritten laws of family conduct that is the easier
path to take? 14

Family name and social recognition are the chief concerns for
Amritlal Parekh, but for Jairaj, they are the obstacle in carving his self-identity.
He yields but doesnt kill his own desire. He craves for self identity and self
esteem. Colonial sensibility and social commitment doesnt give way to his
self-desire and dreams.

Jairaj suffers in two ways. Firstly, patriarchal power suppresses

his desires and dreams. Secondly, social prejudice also causes turmoil and
suffering in the life of Jairaj. So, his self is divided and pride is wounded. He is
anguished and depressed. Critically speaking, the play is a tragedy of human
soul. Jairajs soul falls to pieces. He is constantly shown at war. The shift in
past shows his clash with his father and in present, he is struggling to adjust
with his wife. He expresses his grievances against his father and wife. In the
later part of the play, he outbursts his grievances towards his wife in the
following terms.

Jairaj: I want you to give me back my self-esteem!

Ratna: When did I ever take it?

72
Jairaj: Bit by bit. You took it when you insisted on top billing in all our
programmes. You took it when you made me dance my weakest
items. You took it when you arranged the lighting so that I was
literally dancing in your shadow. And when you called me
names in front of other people. Names I feel ashamed to repeat
even in private. And you call me disgusting.(CP:443)

The play focuses on the successes and failures of the three

generations in the play Amritlal Parekh, Jairaj and Ratna, and Lata. The
play highlighted socio-cultural as well as socio psychological conflicts.Post
colonial analysis of the play reveals that one has to fight back to the social
prejudice and traditions. Otherwise one will undergo perpetual suffering and
subjugation. In the words of A. Nicoll,

Many modern tragedies depend not on certain

personalities presented in isolated surroundings,
but on individuals placed in the midst of social
powers from which they derive their joys and
sorrows. 15

There are anxiety and tension prevailing in the minds of

characters. The characters are not cheerful and in joyous mood except
Viswas who is helping his father in family business. Out of the four living
characters, the three Jairaj, Ratna and Lata are the artists, bharatnatyam
dancers. They are caught up in anxiety and tensions. The close study of the
play reveals that they are facing competition in the field. The two things which
create an air of tension and suspense are rivalry among the artists and
hostility of the society towards business of art and dance. They are seen
struggling to build their career under the competitive scenario and hostile
surroundings. Like his many other plays, Dattani also introduces theme of
gender identity in this play. The play describes the actions and reactions
against the act of trespassing the prescribed and accepted gender roles.
Jairaj jumps over to bharatnatyam dance which is generally, performed by

73
women.Rejecting his fathers objection to this dance form, Jairaj takes
different path landing himself in great difficulty.

Dance is a mode of aesthetic expression among the people

residing in Chennai. The setting of the play is Chennai, the abode of dancers.

In a city like Chennai, where everyone knows

dancer or has a dancer in the family, Dance Like a
Man was bound to strike a familiar chord. The
challenge to both my actors and myself as director
was not just to bring the issues the play raises to
the fore but also to bridge Dattanis verbal
ingenuity with a strong visual element. 16

The play shows how patriarchal social set up deprives the other
members of the families from being celebrity as a dancer. Ratna couldnt be a
famous dancer under the patriarchal powers exercised by her father- in- law.
Dattani seems to assert that individual talent can never flourish under the
domination of patriarchal family system. Ratna thwarts in her dream of being
celebrity. After the death of Amritlal Parekh, her daughter Lata has become an
excellent star of bharatnatyam.

Dattanis theatrical art is characterized by a fine combination of

feeling and form. It is because of this trademark dramatic quality Dattani
emerges as the dramatist of the international repute.In the play Dance Like a
Man, he also muses over a issue what constitutes a man? The father Amritlal
Parekh wants his son Jairaj grow as an adult, a normal man. He, therefore,
objects his sons involvement in bharatnatyam and his intention of growing
long hair. On the contrary to this, the son wants to carve his own identity; he
wants to shape his personality according to his own fancy and desires. The
society has its own norms abiding to all the members of society, but the post
colonial Indian young generation objects to the accepted norms and chooses
the course of action at their own inviting conflict and struggle. The present
play depicts this postcolonial conflict in a very effective manner.

74
 The play shows how social prejudices and conditions hinder the
individuals choices and deprive them from the path of possible growth and
development. Through the example of devadasi, Chenni Amma, Dattani tries
to explain how biased society fails to respond to the call of humanity and
acknowledgement of the true art.

Dattani doesnt promote direct didacticism through theatre. He

adopts theatre as the medium of reflection of what one observes. He puts:
Theatre to me is a reflection of what you observe. To do anything more would
be to become didactic and then it ceases to be theatre. 17

Hence, Dattani intends not to sermonize; not to enter into the

page of the play. He has superb art and craft which help him handling his
observation in a more realistic and impartial way.

It is common knowledge to put that there are two things

common to all his plays: the family unit and urban milieu. He is quite familiar
with urban environment. Family is the epicenter in his drama. Most of the
upheavals and shocks occur within the range of familial relationship. Clash
between tradition and modernity, divorce, problem of career and marriage,
child sexual abuse, prostitution, extra marital relationship, problems of hijras,
even communal tension are connected and covered within the range of family
landscape. In the play Dance Like a Man, Dattani examines interpersonal
human relationship within the range of familial territory.

location within the dynamics of a preexisting

structure of the contemporary unban Indian family
which then turns into the site of the ensuing
18

Dance Like a Man, a master piece of Dattani, deals with the host
of issues like problem of marriage and career, conflict between the tradition
and modernity, patriarchal domination, plight of devdasi, gender roles etc.

75
 In India, literature of all languages have penned down the
pathetic plight of women. And thereby have raised voices against this
inhumane treatment to women. Indian writing in English is no exception to
this. One thing should be noted here that feminism has got mixed responses
from all over the world. Feminism has given birth to two opposite attitudes
namely pro-feministic and anti-feministic attitude. The writers who possess
favorable attitude towards feminism are called pro-feminist and those who
oppose this attitude are designated as anti-feministic. Mahesh Dattani
belongs to the former category i.e. the writer with the pro-feministic attitude.

So far Mahesh Dattanis perception of women is concerned, it is

quite unconventional. In fact, he has no specific agenda of feminism to pass
on viewers. He tries to discover different facets of feminine psyche. His works
depict the constant battle between the feminine psyche and patriarchal order.
To the question, asked by Laxmi Subramanyam, Dattani replies:

They are humans. They want something. They

face obstacles. They will do anything in their power
to get it. All eyes focus on in the powerlessness of

sensibility for political correctness either. My only

defense is to say that I am not biased against
woman. 19

Tara is the most touching three-act stage play by Dattani. It

presents a tale of Siamese twins namely Tara and Chandan. The play
oscillates between the past and the present events. Most of the plays of
Dattani have family and home as the locale. So is the case with Tara. The
play Tara, directed by Dattani himself, was first performed as Twinkle Tara at
the Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Bangalore, on 23rd October, 1990 by Playpen
Performing Arts Group, which is established by Dattani. It was performed
under the directorship of Alyque Padamsee. It was, later on, staged as Tara at
Sophia Bhabha Hall by Theatre Group. Bombay, on 9th November, 1991.

76
 Multilevel sets, split scenes, flashback device, double roles etc.
are the noted theatrical techniques of Mahesh Dattani. In this play, the stage
is consisted of multilevel sets. The lowest level occupies a major portion of the
stage. It represents the house of the Patels. The next level represents the bed
sitter of the older Chandan in a suburb of London. This is the only realistic
level. At the higher level, Dr. Thakkar remains seated in the chair throughout
the play. He is not watcher of the action of the play, but his association is
shown by his sheer God like presence. Dan has a triangular task to perform.
He is the narrator, organizer of the action and also participant character in the
play. Among the three levels, Dan's level is only the realistic level. The action
moves out from his memory. It can be said that it is the remix version of past
event happened at Patel household. The play has a very constructive nature
of narrative as usual in his plays, breaking and restarting action.

Dan is the second name of Chandan. He has changed his name

Chandan to Dan to free himself from the burden of injustice done to Tara,his
sister. He goes to London and tries his hand at writing. He cuts off his relation
with others. He tries to live in the new world. The idea that he is responsible
for pathetic position of Tara constantly haunts his inner consciousness. She is
another half of him. She is the separated self of him. Sense of guilt grips his
conscience. Erin Mee aptly puts,Tara and Chandan are two sides of the
same self. (CP: 320)

At the beginning of the play, the spot light picks up Dan (older
Chandan) at his writing table. He is typing furiously. He stops and looks up
and speaks directly to the audience.

Dan:
seedy suburb of London, thousands of miles from home hasnt
put enough distance between us. (Holds up his glass.) My
battery charger helps on some occasions. But now I want them
to comeback. To masticate my memories in my mind and spit
out the result to the (CP: 323-24)

77
 Dan is writing a play in two acts- Twinkle Tara, but he cant write
except publication details. He wrote a short story entitled Random Raj dealing
with the theme of British Raj. The publishers have turned it down as they
didnt find it worth publishing.The play begins without any music, but slowly
music fades in and Chandan and Tara walk onto the stage level. They both
have a limp, but on different legs. Bharati offers more milk to Tara as she has
lost half a pound weight in one week.

He is writing a drama on Tara. There is an exchange of hot

words between Bharati and her husband over the issue of love and care of
their children. Patel blames on Bharati that she is turning children against him.
He is giving love and affection in equal amount to both the children. His wife
wants to prove that she loves Tara more than him. The second act ends with
collapse of Taras health and Patels asking for sugar. At the end, Dan reads
his script:

(reads aloud) Bharati sobs. Patel brings in the revived Tara.

Patel picks up the phone and dials the hospital. The act ends
with the explosive opening of Brahms First concerto. (CP: 354)

Tara and Chandan are Siamese twins. Though they are twins,
they don't resemble same. They are separated after the three months of their
birth. Actually, they were conjoined from the chest and were having three
legs. The chances of survival of the third leg were more with of Tara.
However, it was given to Chandan, avoiding medical report, which reflects
gender discrimination. In fact, the decision to give third leg to Chandan was
taken by Mrs. Bharati Patel and her politically powerful father. Mr. Patel had
no hand in this injustice. The surgery was done in Bombay. Thus, Tara is the
victim of sex discrimination in patriarchal society. It is an unpleasant fact that
a woman's life is always structured and governed by patriarchy since time
immemorial. Dattani seems to assert that the power of wealth often joins
hands with power of patriarchy for the subjugation and oppression of the
women in our society. Taras grandfather uses his political and money power
to convince the doctor for giving third leg to Chandan instead of Tara.

78
Critically, trinity of patriarchy, capitalism, and political power join forces
together against the existence of a girl. It has been attributed:

Tara centers on the emotional separation that grows

between two conjoined twins following the discovery
that their physical separation was manipulated by
their mother and grandfather to favour the boy
(Chandan) over the girl (Tara). Tara, a feisty girl
who isnt given the opportunities given to her brother
(although she may be smarter) eventually wastes
away and dies. Chandan escapes to London,
changes his name to Dan, and attempts to repress
the guilt he feels over his sisters death by living
without a personal history. 20

The play is highly theatrical. Spotlight picks up Bharati and Tara.

Bharati is showing her deep love and affection for Tara.

Bharati: Tara! My beautiful baby! You are my most beautiful baby! I love
you very much!

Tara: (enjoying this affection) Yes, mummy. I know that (CP: 355)

Even by the end of the play, Dan couldnt materialize anything

on his drama. Still there are his name, address and date nothing else. He
admits that nothing has changed except date. He says; The material is there.
But the craft is yet to come. Like the amazing Dr. Thakkar, I must take
something from Tara-and give it to myself. Make capital of my trauma, my
(CP: 379)

The play Tara provides bitter commentary upon gender

discrimination and forces of social apathy towards injustice done to even a girl
babe under the cloak of gender dichotomy. So it is not just a story about
gender identity nor is it a story of medical phenomenon. It presents how
women are marginalized to the extent of distorting her self. The play is, in

79
broader sense, a gruesome tale of injustice done to a woman by the
patriarchal society. Despite the civilization and development in the human
field, we are same at the root of our mind. The play shows how the devil of
gender discrimination kills all other bond of familial relationship and how
socio-cultural myths and conventions control and construct the course of the
human life. Bharatis love for Tara is pure and unceasing, but her maternal
love is marginalized as a woman and her subleternity compels her to sacrifice
her maternal love to cope up with social expectations. The patriarchal code
pushes mother-daughter relationship on the periphery. Adrienne Rich aptly
observes:

Though motherhood is the experience of women,

the institution of motherhood is under male control
and the physical situation of becoming a mother is
disciplined by males. This glorious motherhood is
imposed on women, conditions her entire life. 21

In this play, Dattani highlights the complex situation in which

conjoined twins are trapped by Nature. The manipulation, made by the
patriarchal society, creates the situation more complex and intricate. It brings
forth the very unhappy and absurd situation for a girl, Tara. It is attributed:

Dattani establishes that mother and daughter

relationship is ultimately subordinated to the
directives of patriarchy. It makes obvious that
womens lives are organized and manipulated by
the patriarchy in all ages, all culture and all
countries by establishing values, roles, gender
perception and prescribe unequal means to
achieve the wholeness for women. 22

The play revolves around the theme of favoring the boy and
frowning upon the girl with exceptional originality of conception. Mahesh
Dattani, in one of his interviews with Laxmi Subramanyam, says:

80
 I see Tara as a play about the male self and
female self. The male self is being preferred in all
cultures. The play is about the separation of self
and the resultant angst. 23

Dan is the interviewer at this juncture of action. Dr. Takhar holds

forth proudly on his God-like intervention in the lives of Tara and Chandan. He
does it directly addressing to the audience. Dan receives a phone call from his
father who is at present in India. Through this call, he comes to know about
the sad demise of his mother, Bharati. This enables us to perceive his mental
and emotional turmoil. He does great efforts to keep distance between him
and India and the past as possible. Neverthless, the past is within, just as the
present. Tara is an exploration of the dark secrets of human consciousness
that creates tension and emotional turmoil in the present. Pressure of the past
is the characteristic feature of Dattani's play. We find various revelations in his
plays. Dattani unearths what lies beneath surface, what had happened in the
past days, and how it affects the present action. So, the audience comes
across with unexpected intrication.

Tara is revelatory in nature. Dan feels the pressure of the past.

He is weighed down with the pressurable tension resulting from past deeds.
They are of his mother and grandfather. At the time of the gruesome decision
of giving third leg to Chandan, the doctors opined that chances of survival of
leg were more with Tara than Chandan. Gender hierarchisation comes in the
way of science. Bharati and her politically powerful father without taking Mr.
Patel in confidence decided to give the third leg to Chandan. The doctor was
persuaded by giving some acres of land in Bangalore by Bharati's MLA father.
As Patel explains A scan showed that a major part of the blood supply to the
third leg was provided by the girl. (CP: 378)

The leg with Chandan could survive only for two days, while it
could have survived forever with Tara. It doesn't mean that Mr. Patel is devoid
of fault. He is also a party to gender discrimination. He appears to be more
concerned about the future of Chandan than Tara.

81
 Bharatis excessive love for Tara results from her past guilt. She
feels the pangs of her past guilt. She, allied with her father, did great injustice
to Tara. Now she wants to give more and more love and comforts to Tara. It is
because of this that she wants to give her own kidney to Tara when there is
another donator available. She wants to give part of herself and craves
satisfaction out of this. She shows her concern to the extent that she and only
she loves Tara. Nobody else! But Patel disapproves her idea of giving her
kidney to Tara. So, she pretends that it will involve expenses. Mr. Patel
disapproves her view saying that her fathers wealth has always been her
strength against him.

Bharati: (pleadingly) Why won't you let me do it?

Patel: (controlling) Need I tell you? Because I do not want

you to have the satisfaction of doing it.

Bharati: I will do it!

Patel: You will have to obey me. It's my turn now.

Bharati: I want to give her a part of me! (CP: 344)

Bharati tries to assert her moral superiority over her husband.

She struggles hard to carve out her space in the family. Bharati's final
decision of giving her kidney to Tara may be seen as an act of expiation.
Bharati said that her deceased father is responsible for the inhuman act of
denying third leg to Tara. After her fathers death, Bharati's condition grows
worse. She tries to make up through taking excessive care and immense
exposure of her love for Tara and great concern for her future. This is also the
result of her past grave blunder. She is quite conscious of her past wrong
deed and feels full pressure of her guilt. Her efforts to compensate loss,
caused to Tara by her, causes conflict with her husband and this ultimately
leads her to the mental breakdown. Thus, Bharati keeps striving to construct
her maternal love until she undergoes mental breakdown.

82
 Bharati is being hospitalized. Tara wants to see her personally,
but her father doesnt allow her to do so. Hence, she begins to hate him
thinking Bharati wants to tell her something concerning her father. Hence, Mr.
Patel discloses the truth before Tara and Chandan.

the girl. Your grandfather and your mother had a private meeting
with Dr. Thakkar. I wasnt asked to come. That same evening,
your mother told me of her decision. Everything will be done as
planned. Except- I couldnt believe what she told me- that they

nt take them very long

to realize what a grave mistake they made. The leg was
I was meaning to tell you both when you were
(CP: 378)

It is necessary to pinpoint that we find a kind of change in

Bharati's view especially about patriarchal notion. She feels disillusioned.
What about Patel? He still nurtures the patriarchal ideology. He bothers much
about Chandan's future career. He doesn't seem too much bother about
Tara's future career. Besides gender discrimination, the play offers a study of
psycho-philosophical dimension integrated in the text. The play ends with
Dan's apology:

wish. I wish that a long forgotten person would forgive me.

Wherever she is. (CP: 380)

Dan receives acute pain and develops psychological trauma.

The play also can be deemed as the tragedy of human self. Dan realizes
wretchedness and misery of his existence which is the outcome of the crime
done to Tara .His soul is aching. It has come closer to the observation of
Beena Agarwal:

83
 The pathetic confession of Dan by the end of the
play forgives me Tara, forgive me, for making it
my tragedy is the manifestation of Dattanis own
24
anguish at the exploitation of an innocent girl.

There is an unprecedented development in the field of science

and technology. It has blessed mankind with speed, pleasure and perfection.
If we look at the other side of coin, we shall come to know that it is also used
to cause suffering and pain in the lives of many people. After all, it is the man
who operates the machine for his own motives and desires. The play Tara
shows us how technologically enhanced equipments are used to subjugate
the woman. Dattani establishes that it is not machine, but human motives that
matter much. Dattani holds red torch against pitfalls of advancement of
science and technology.

Dattani takes a rational look at theatrical tradition of home and

abroad. Considering his necessity, he fuses western theatrical devices with
the native one. He freely uses words and sentences of Indian languages like
Gujarati, Hindi and Kannada in his dramas. Since his mother tongue is
Gujarati, he is fond of using Gujarati words and sentences. In Tara, he uses
code mixing device. Roopa speaks Gujarati words frequently. As she says:
Prema! Prema-a (No response.)Prema-a! Oh, hello, aunty. (In broken
Gujarati) Kem Chcho? Majhjha ma...? (CP: 327)

Mahesh Dattani shows how the women are gasping under the
evil clutch of patriarchy and gender bias. To build premise of strong and
unshakable nation, sound construction of family is very necessary as it is like
the brick in the premise of the nation. Moreover, family is our first society. If
this first community or society exists on falsehood of prejudice and
conventions, the nation, the larger society, cannot survive longer, cannot
flourish and progress. It is observed:

Mahesh Dattani frequently takes as his subject the

complicated dynamics of the modern urban
family.His characters struggle for some kind of

84
 freedom and happiness under the weight of
tradition, cultural constructions of gender, and
repressed desire. Their dramas are played out on
multi-level sets where interior and exterior become
one, and geographical locations are collapsed in
short, his settings are as fragmented as the
families who inhabit them.25

The play also indicates that the patriarchal social set up also
deprives women from gaining economical stability. Along with the tragic tale of
gender discrimination, an unpleasant document of material discrimination
against the woman folk is also woven in the fabric of the text of the play.
Since, Bharati was the only child of her father; he has bequeathed Tara and
Chandan with house in Bangalore. However, Tara is excluded from the
bequest of money by the grandfather. Chandan inherits a lot of money.

The theme of separation also prevails in various forms. There

are mainly two kinds of separation. One separation is of Tara and Chandan
through surgery of unjustly giving third leg to Chandan. The second is Mr.
Patels boycott by his family. Mr. Patel, a Gujarati, has married Bharati, a
Kannadiga. So, his family has cut off relationship with him. The root cause of
both these separations lies in social prejudices and conventions. Through his
plays, Dattani encourages the demolition of false prejudice and conventions
which beset the lives of human beings with pain and misery. It is observed:

Woven into the play are the issues of class and

community, and the clash between traditional and
modern life styles and values. 26

Dattani dramatizes the angst of the urban family. There is a

sense of unrest among the members of Patel family in the play. Tara and
Chandan are subjected to physical deformity, whereas Mrs. Bharati Patel is
suffering from the disease of hysteria. There is no familial concord between
husband and wife. Some unrevealed mysteries cast their dark shadows upon
their lives.It has been assumed:

85
 This is thus a play about the injustices done in the
name of construction of gender identities this
hierarchisation and demarcation of roles does as
much harm to men as to women.Dan carries as
much harm of the unfair burden this imposes as
Tara. 27

Bravely Fought the Queen is a famous stage play dealing with

confined domestic space of the women and their seeking consolation in their
own ways. It depicts the theme of emptiness of lives caught up in the swirl of
capitalism. Fissured into the three acts, the play showcases certain ugly and
harsh reality of our so called normal life. Dattani is adept at fusing form and
influence for creating a space. Michael Walling observes:

His plays fuse the physical and special awareness

of the Indian theatre with the textual rigour of
western models like Ibsen and Tennessee

Britain both have an urgent need for a cultural

expression of the contemporary; they require
public spaces in which the mingling of eastern
western influences can take place. Through his
fusion of forms and influences, Mahesh creates
such a space. This is in itself a political and social
statement of astonishing force. 28

The play Bravely Fought the Queen was first performed at the
Sophia Bhava Hall, Mumbai on 2nd August, 1991. The play was,
subsequently, produced by Border Crossing, UK, in 1996. Michael Walling
and Mahesh Dattani directed the stage production of the play. In the plays of
Dattani multi-level stage plays a vital role. It helps in connecting the past with
present and also contains certain symbols which indicate inner workings of
the minds of the characters.

86
 Every act is named as per the gender of the characters present
therein. The act one is named as The Women. It speaks volume of women.
It presents the emptiness and trauma in the lives of women of the Trivedi
house hold and others. The act two is entitled as The Men. The two things
that remains unchanged in the act two are- Baas room and well stocked bar.
Jiten and Nitin runs advertising agency. There are two large desks with
executive chairs for Trivedi Brothers and a smaller desk for Shridhar who is
working in their office.There is a comfortable couch next to Jitens desk. They
are working for ReVa Tee campaign.

The third act is named as Free for All. The setting is same as
in act one. Thumri also continues to play in the third act as in act one. The title
of the third act is very symbolic and suggestive. There is a free flow of
emotions and passion, anger and hatred, blaming and counter blaming. The
women express, assert, and move freely in this act. Dattani presents a kind of
familial court in which contention and counter contention takes place till the
truth is revealed. The Trivedi brothers are dismissed as the scheming and
gay, violent and unfaithful. The dramatist disproves the idea of varied spaces
for man and woman showing them human beings equal in all respects.

At the opening of the play, Lalitha comes to Dollys house as

suggested by latters husband. Dolly has awful memory. She has forgotten
whose wife Lalitha was. She met her at the parties. But she didnt remember
that her husbands name is Sridhar who works for Dollys husband and
handles ReVa Tee account. After sometime, we come to know about Baa,
Dollys mother in-law and mother of Jiten and Nitin. Her room is upstairs. She
calls Dolly by pressing the bell again and again. Her character creates some
kind of tension and an air of authority in the house. There is also reference
regarding Dollys daughter Daksha who never appears physically in the play.
Her presence is felt throughout the play. It reminds us the past cruelty of Jiten
with his wife Dolly.

Thereafter, Alka enters into Dollys house. She is both sister and
sister-in-law to Dolly as both have married in the same family - the Trivedis.

87
Dolly has married to Jiten Trivedi and her sister Alka has married to Jitens
brother Nitin. Alka is few years younger to her sister. Trivedi brothers have
twin houses side by side-one for each brother in a posh suburb of Bangalore.
Thus, both sisters live right next door. Dollys daughter Daksha is a school
going girl. She goes to a school in Ooty.

In a sense, play deals with the theme of hypocrisy. The close

look at the house will reveal that living room is face and kitchen and Baas
bedroom etc. are the back or inwards reality. The spectators are curious to
peep inside the kitchen and inner rooms where real incidents take place. The
playing of thumri of Naina Devi pervades right from the beginning to the end
of the play. It has also got very symbolic significance. Naina Devi was a great
queen, but she loved to sing thumri which was practiced by the whore. She
had strong urge for singing love songs and resistant will. She followed her
urge and passion without caring for the social criticism. With the support of
her husband, she sang in the face of patriarchal dominating society. She was
mistaken as for a twaif. Eventually, she is recognized as the queen of thumri.
Dolly also wants to be dressed in whore at the ball like Naina Devi, a
paradigm of heroism. The title of the play is used in an ironic way showing
domestic struggle of the women of the Trivedi family. There is a popular poem
in Hindi about Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, a valorous queen.She fought
against the Britishers. Through this inset story, the dramatist focuses womens
craving for love and freedom and the struggle they underwent in the play.

Lalitha:

Alka: (interested) Jhansi Ki Rani

Lalitha: Yes, but how did it go? (Remembers and recites) Wed heard
her praises sung so often.

So bravely fought the Rani of Jhansi.

Alka : (CP: 295-96)

88
 So, Lalitha suggests Dolly to dress up herself as the Rani of
Jhansi, a brave queen. But Alka is more inclined at this suggestion and wants
to join dressing heself as a brave queen.

Baa, who has the stroke, is in her late sixties. She is bed-ridden.
She wears white sari. Her husband was very violent person. She had been ill-
treated by him. The memory of violent husband is still alive. Two things are
harassing to Alka and Dolly.-the bell and Baas loud mouth.

The play seeks to presents womens exploitation by the

male.Alka is ill treated by her husband and by her own brother, Praful. She
pours out her rage and esentment in the following terms:

I cant forget what they did to me! Our brother is a cheat! He

lied about our father to them. And he lied to me! He lied to me
(CP: 256)

Alka narrates past painful treatment meted out to her by Praful.

Once, Alka came home on scooter of a neighbors son. Annoyed by this,
Praful dragged her into the kitchen without saying a word. He pushed her face
in front of burning stove and burnt her hair. Despite his brutality, Dolly
considers Praful as a very ideal person. It is learnt that Praful and Nitin were
close friends since college days. Nitin also treated her badly by driving out of
house for some time.

There is a mystery regarding an old woman. There are many

references of coming old woman again and again. Whenever she comes, they
talk to wake up the watchman; the watchman is so sleepy that he wakes only
when he hears horns of his sahibs car.

The play also highlights romantic story of Dolly and Kanhaiya, a

teenager. Alka, in the presence of Lalitha, narrates the love-scene between
Dolly and Kanhaiya in association with Naina Devis thumri. It is quite
shocking and humorous that Dolly is also interested in listening to the
narration of her romance with Kanhaiya. She feels joy and embarrassment at

89
the same time. Actually, interpolated tale of Kanhaiya, alluring cook who might
or might not present also functions as the potent symbol which denotes
disappointment emptiness and trauma in the women of the Trivedi house
hold. Alka and Lalitha have drunk excessively. Alka keeps on speaking under
the influence of intoxication. How women behave when they are alone and
guarded. Act one ends in tension able calling of Baa for Dolly and Dollys
joyous calling for Kanhaiya.

ActII (The Men) presents mens business and world outside.

The Trivedi brothers are having financial agency and Shridhar is working with
them. There is a discussion on market survey for ReVa Tee advertisement
made by Shridhar. The model is alright, but they have failed to understand
womens desire. Reva Tee advertisement is pregnant with meaning. It is very
suggestive and symbolic. The failure of ReVa Tee advertisement symbolizes
that the men have failed to understand and recognize the feminine self and
equity as human being. Dissatisfied with result of the ReVa Tee survey,
Shridhar wants to make another presentation, but Jiten opposes the idea,
calling it a great campaign. He says that they are of the womens opinions.
They have little weight in the marketing world as they dont have buying
power.

Jiten: Screw the survey! You know who you should have tested it out
on? Men!

Shridhar: Men!

Jiten: Yes! Men would want to buy it for their women! Thats our
market. Men would want their women dressed up like that. And
they have the buying power. Yes! So theres no point in asking a
group of screwed-up women what they think of it. Theyll pretend
to feel offended and say, oh, we are always being treated like
sex objects. (CP: 276)

90
 Thus, Jiten doesnt respect views and opinions of women
considering them as secondary human being or merely subordinate to their
male counter parts.

The play is portrait of sexual, moral, and financial depreciation in

the lives of the Trivedi brothers residing in a posh suburb of Bangalore.The
play also shows how addiction of prostitution to the husband empties joy and
happiness of conjugal relationship between husband and wife. Jiten and
Shridhar are the pleasure seekers in prostitutions. They bring the outside
women even at their office for gratifying the carnival desires. The comfortable
couch is kept for this filthy purpose. As a result of this, their wives feel
boredom and unhappiness in their marital lives. The play presents the shifting
Indian values and dramatizes conflict between traditional and contemporary
cultures.

The third act brings all men and women face to face. They are
confronted and exposed to reality. In the third act, Jiten and Nitin come home
to find Alka all wet and muddy as she has just danced in the rain and injured
herself. Both are shocked to see her in an indecent look. Jiten stares at Alka
and tells Nitin to ask her what she was doing outside in the rain.

Jiten: Ask her what she was doing outside in the rain.

Alka: I dont know! I dont know what I was doing outside. Arent there
times when you dont know what you are doing? (To Nitin)
Whats the harm in that? Huh? (No response) Tell me. Whats
the harm? (CP: 299-300)

Baa is now, aged and invalid. But the past ill memory of her
husband is still fresh with her.She was brutally beaten up by her husband. He
was a demon like person in both appearance and intention. Baa tells Lalitha:
Ten years old and he is afraid of the dark. Afraid to sleep in the dark. Afraid
of his father - who is as black as night! (CP: 272)

Further, Baa narrates the brutal behavior of her husband.

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Baa: You hit me? I only speak the truth and you hit me? Go on. Hit
me again. The children should see what a demon you are. Aah!
Jitu! Nitin! Are you watching? See your father! (Jerks her face
as if shes been slapped.) No! No! Not on the face! What will the

aaaah! (Covers her face weakly as her scream turns silent and
the light on her fades out). (CP: 278)

Jiten is like his father, violent and drunkard. He is very violent

with his wife Dolly as his father was with his wife, Baa. He hit badly even
when Dolly was pregnant.

Dolly: And you hit me! Jitu, you beat me up! I was carrying Daksha
and you beat me up! (CP:311)

But Jiten blames Baa. He bit her as Baas provocation. She

denied Daksha was their blood. She called Dolly a whore and Jitu believed
her words. Baa puts blame on Praful. He lied to her. Dolly gives expression to
her pent up pain and anguish at the end of the play to Jiten.

Dolly: Fifteen years ago. Hardly married for a year. Praful comes to
visit us. The same day, your mother receives a letter from her
cousin in Ahmedabad what fate! It had to be the same day! And
it had to be the crucial month for me! What was in that letter?
Our whole history. Including the portion which Praful hadnt told
you about. (CP: 311)

Neither of the brothers is willing to admit the guilt. They blame

other. Jiten blames Baa. Baa blames Praful and other and Nitin blames upon
Praful.

Jiten: (sobbing) No! No! (Points to Baas room) She made me do it!
She did it!

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Dolly: No! Oh no! I will not let you get away easily! They were your
hands hitting me! Your feet kicking me! Its in your blood! Its in
your blood to do bad! (CP: 312)

The play also exposes the male chauvinism and woman as the
colonized subordinate section of male dominant Indian society. Baa and Dolly
are the worst victims of the conventional and cruel attitude of their husbands.
They are meted with injustice and ill treatment at the hands of their male
counter parts.In Dattanis play, battle is fought in the house. In this play, the
house of Trivedi brothers seems to be the arena. In fact, female character of
affluent homes raises their voices against the suppression and subjugation
through patriarchal social system. The play also depicts the issue of
homosexuality in a very bold manner. The play also throws light on the
suffering of the wife due to her husband turning out to be a guy. Alkas
anguish and agony is aggravated when she comes to know that Nitin, her
husband, has homosexual relationship with her own brother, Praful. She has
become the victim of her own brothers gay relationship. Her brother was
having homosexual relationship with Nitin. Hence, he gets her sister married
with his partner to continue his relationship in a smoother and longer way.

Alka retorts and pours her anger against her brother for making
her scapegoat. Her wrath and anger is well expressed in the following
outburst.

Alka: Our saint of a brother used to warm us against men like you.
(Points to Jiten) And what does he do? The saint gives his sister
to the sinister and disappears! (Makes a motion of wiping her
hands) Finished. Matter over. Or is it? The saint has another
sister who is (slaps her own face) bad, bad, bad. He beats her
till she gets better. And he has this friend. A best friend! The
sinisters brother turns out to be his best friend. Not such a
coincidence. (CP: 300)

The play Bravely Fought the Queen encompasses issue of

gayism along with the main theme of exploitation of educated women in urban

93
society.On account of dry marital life, Alka has become a boozer. She has
drunk heavily and lied on the sofa. Looking at her huddled figure, at the end of
the play Nitin admits;

responded. Oh! But how ashamed he me feel after! He made

me cry each time! That was a game he played. And I-I was

whom? ... He told me that you knew. That he

about me. And that it didnt matter to you. You only wanted the

-I am sorry. It
wasnt my fault. (Moves to her and slowly covers her face with
the blanket) But now, you will have to sleep. You mustnt wake
(CP: 314-15)

Thus, the play ends with Nitins confessional soliloquy. He is

anxious to meet dark auto driver. Dattani detects virgin issues and presents
through his theatrical mechanism in an innovative fashion. The transexuality
can be viewed in two ways. (i) Excluded (ii) not integrated. Gayism/ lesbian
are not integrated in the maincourse of our life. The eunuch is excluded from
the mans stream of our society.

The Trivedi brothers, Jiten and Nitin inflict pain and suffering
upon their wives in two different ways. Jiten kicked Dolly in her belly during
her pregnancy period and Nitin by avoiding his wife for his gayness. One
more important thing about the Dattanis plays is that his construction of love
for the children comes from the past guilt. It is the pressure of past - mistake
or crime that leads them to construct more and more love for kids so as to
compensate their past loss. Baa, Praful, and Jiten did injustice to Daksha.
Their excessive love for Daksha results from their past quilt. As Dolly says: At
the hospital, you told them I fell down stairs! Daksha was born-two months
premature. With the cord around her neck! (Pause).I saw her and I knew ! I
knew instantly! Your mother loved her more than was natural. Praful loved

94
her. More than was natural.You love her.You love her more than Baa or
Praful! Because you feel the most guilt! (CP: 312)

Mahesh Dattani excels in art and craft as well as symbolic

exuberances and imagery. The symbol is a powerful means of
communication. In literary work, symbol has great value in the texture of work.
The play is pregnant with lightly suggestive and effective symbols and
imagery. Dattani has made ample use of symbols i.e. bonsai plant. He has
woven it into the fabric of play. Lalitha has got obsession of growing bonsai. It
is very suggestive of her internal world. The plant is slim and timy. It may get
dried up if not timely watered and nurtured. It indicates that man should
understand emotions and feeling of the woman. They should nurture their
existence with love and respect. Otherwise, it brings dryness and emptiness
in the life. She keeps on trimming and fencing of the plant. It denotes the
restrictions imposed on the women in our society. Lalithas husband Surindhar
keeps bonsai plant at his office. The plant is not healthy and attractive. It
symbolizes the distorted images of the married lines of the Trivedi borther.
Apart from this, the face mask, Baas bell and wheelchair, the thumri etc. art
the imageries used for expressing some thoughts and idea in the play. The
play Bravely Fought the Queen is moulded by craft of imagery or symbolism.
The play repletes with rich symbols, imagery, rhythm, sound etc. The
extensive use of bonsai plant reminds us the image of broken tree which
pervades throughout the play All My Sons by Arthur Miller.

In Bravely Fought the Queen, Dattani explores the

marginalization of women and also their attempt to articulate their voices
against the patriarchal politics that subjugates the women and makes them
worth for nothing. The play can be considered as the dramatists protest
against exploitation of women in terms of emotional and finance within the
periphery of the familial relationship. The play also highlights other evils like
money-lending, prostitution, domestic violence, consumerism etc. Though, the
women of the play differ in their mood and musing, they are unhappy and
disappointed at their claustrophobic spaces. It is because of this depression
and disappointment they are drifted towards different things for eliminating

95
dark-shadow of their frustration. Alka is addicted to wine and Dolly develops
romantic notion for Kanhaiya. Lalithas over involvement in growing bonsai
plant results from her frustrated mental state.

At the end, the women of the play become assertive and attempt
to create their own spaces against the confined domestic space offered to
them. Of course, they articulate their own spaces in different ways to discard
their deplorable condition. Eventually, all men are unmasked and their real
faces are brought before the audience. They have no other means of
depending themselves except escapism. There is revolutionary change in the
character of Dolly. Dolly of the first part of the play is quite submissive, meek
and shy, but she emerges as an assertive and potent character who breaks
through silence and burst out her anger against the ill-treatment and injustice
done to her at the end. Alka also makes shocking rather disgusting revelation
of hidden motives of her brother Praful who got her married with Nitin for
continuing his gay relationship with Nitin.

By exploiting layer upon layer of performance, of

unreality, Mahesh allowed his actress a route to
emotion in its rawest form; the pain, the anguish in
the blood-knot of the family which is his constant
theme. 29

Dramatist highlights the collision between conventional mindset

and modern culture resulting into newer landscape. The play depicts the
emotional, financial and sexual complexities of Indian urban family. The
women of the play are exploited in a multiple ways. It should be noted that
they are not passive sufferers. They do suffer, but when it goes beyond
endurance; they fight back to free themselves from the burden of subalternity.
They take weapon in their hands to show that they are not only subordinate to
their male counterparts. Alka is the fine example of this. She is the queen who
bravely fought against the system of colonization i.e. patriarchal system just
as Queen Lakshmibai fought valorously against the colonizers of the county.
i.e. Britishers.

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 Mahesh Dattani, an internationally acclaimed author, is one of
the first Indian dramatists in English to negotiate so successfully with
audience at home and in abroad. His plays are written in urban backdrop and
convey the authentic voice of modern urban India. He is one of the few
brilliant starts in the constellation of Indian English theatrical firmament.

Dattani bags the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for his

wonderful work Final Solutions and Other Plays. Final Solutions, a stage play
in three acts, is a thrilling story of gripping communalism. The time of the
action is late 1940's the period when the India got freedom and partition of the
country on the basis of religion into India and Pakistan. Like in all other plays,
Dattani has used segmented stage in this play and family as a battlefield of
action. In Dattani's plays, incident takes place in the streets and it brings
horror home. Alyque Padamsee considers Final Solutions as the play about
transferred resentments. He puts:

As I see it, this is a play about transferred

resentments. About looking for a scapegoat to hit
out at when we feel let down, humiliated. Talking
out your own anger on your wife, children or
servants is an old Indian custom. 30

The first stage production of the play took play at Guru Nanak
Bhavan. Bangalore, on 10 July 1993. Later on, it was performed at Tara
Theatre Mumbai on 11 December, 1993. It was directed by Alyque
Padamsee. Final Solutions is a very celebrated work of art. Hence, it is also
converted into Hindi by Shahid Anwar and directed by Arvind Gaur for Asmita
Theatre in 1998.

The stage is dominated horse-shoe or crescent-shaped ramp,

with the ends sloping to stage level. Most of the action of the Mob/Chorus
takes place on the ramp. Within the confines of the ramp is a structure
suggesting the house of the Gandhis with just wooden blocks for furniture and
an upstage is a detailed kitchen and pooja rooms.

97
 On another level, there is a room with a roll top desk and an oil
lamp converted to an electric one, suggesting that the period is the late
1940s. During this period, Hardika was a young girl known as Daksha.Hardika
should be positioned and lit in such a way that the entire action of the play is
seen through her eyes. Daksha is referred to young girl of fifteen who writes
her thoughts in diary. Hardika is referred to as the grandmother. Though
Daksha and Hardika is the same person, they sometimes are seen working at
the same level and same time.

When the play opens, Daksha is reading out what she has just
written in her diary. Hardika is seated, motionless, on the same level.
Daksha marries to Hari even before her 15th birthday. Her father had fought
for freedom. She calls her mother-in-law as Gaju and father-in-law as Wagh
for their certain personal traits. The introduction of Dakshas character is very
meaningful innovative attempt. Dattani creates her character for revitalizing
the past especially through her diary. Dattani very tactfully provides her
separate space and identity with a view to connecting the past with present.
She analyses the past with present and provides her commentary.

Home is arena in the plays of Dattani. With the rise of action, the
drama reaches to the Gandhis house. The actual action takes place outside
the house, but it brings tension and terror inside the house. One can say that
social tension or trouble assumes the form of domestic tension. Chased by
the fanatic Hindu mob, Javed and Bobby sought refuge at Ramnik Gandhis
house who is a man of liberal ideology. This incident sets forth thrilling actions
of the play. Dattani presents the whole drama of the communal disharmony
inside the Ramnik Gandhi's house at Amargaon. He is the practicener of the
democratic and liberal views. There was the communal trouble in the town.
The communal riots break out due to the attack on rath yatra. The mobs are
on the streets with weapons and burning fire. The communal flame engulfs
the entire peace of the town. There is a chaos and confusion. Nobody knows
what has exactly happened. Everybody is scared and panicky. The rumours
of killing Pujari, bombing the Muslim girls' hostel etc are at full speed. The
dark night has enveloped the town with its fury and tension.

98
 The mob in the play is symbolic of our own hatred
and paranoia. Each member of the mob is an
individual yet they meld into one seething whole as
soon as politicians play on their fears and
anxieties. 31

The play depicts juxtaposition joy of freedom and horrors of

communal riots. Under the intoxication of religion, people became thirsty for
the blood of their own country people. Killing, stabbing, setting fire, looting,
rapping etc. were the common scenes during these period. Many were
slaughtered and many more wounded. Thousands of people migrated from
India to Pakistan and vice-versa. Even after the decades of the freedom,
condition has not changed in terms of the religious prejudice and communal
tension.
32
lurking inside ourselves.

The play is bifurcated into three acts for the presentation of the
events in a systematic way. Structurally, they can be considered as the
exposition, climax and denouement or solution. The first act introduces the
situation and people involved in it showing communal riots as the background
of the play. There is a gradual development of action leading to the climax in
the second act. The third act is very important from both structurally and
philosophically. The dramatist presents cross examination Javed and Bobby
for arriving at final solution of the communal hatred.

The first act serves as an exposition and sets forth action. All the
personages are introduced in the first act. Ramnik Gandhi is the head of the
family. His wife Aruna is a very religious natured lady. She is very punctual
and takes meticulous care in daily rituals. Their daughter, Smita, is studying in
college. She is holding different views regarding life, faith, religion etc. She
symbolizes the liberal and humanitarian ideology. Hardika is the oldest
character in the play. She feels that her son, Ramnik, is blinded by his ideals.
The present communal trouble reminds Hardika of the past one in which her

99
father died. Her father was beaten on the streets of Hussainabad and died
there during the post freedom communal trouble.

The play begins with Daksha's diary reading to the audience and
Hardika is seen seated rather motionless at the same level. She reads her
diary. Daksha. (Reads from her diary) Dear Diary today is the first time I have
dared to put my thoughts on your pages. (Thinks for a while) Today? How will
people know when today was a hundred years from now? (Picks up pen and
scribbles.) 31 March, 1948 (CP: 165-66)

Through her reading, we come to know that she wanted to be a

singer like voice queen Noor Jehan. She reads further, All my dreams have
's family is
(CP: 166) Daksha is a girl wife married to
Hari before fifteen. She came to her new house at her fifteenth birthday after
the ten month of her marriage. Her dreams were shattered as her in-laws
heard her humming a love song to Hari one night and in the morning; they told
Hari not to allow her to sing film songs. Thus, hers in laws forbade her to sing
songs after her marriage. While recalling scarred memories of the communal
riots after independence, Daksha writes; Like last year, in August, a most

(CP: 166)

Actually, people were very eagerly and enthusiastically waiting

for the freedom. Everyone was awake for midnight just as the school goings
wait for the last bell of the last class before vacation. But people rushed out
screaming, shouting and fighting instead of enjoying and celebrating the
declaration of freedom of the country and end of British regime.

Dakshas father fought for freedom. He was happy as eventually

India got freedom and rid of the Britishers. Dakshas father said that before
leaving India, Britishers let loose the dogs. But she didnt understand it at that
time. Her ancestral house was in Hussainabad. The house was attacked and
her entire collection of records of Shamshad Begum, Noor Jehan, Suraiya
were broken to pieces. Hardika opens her diary after forty years and writes a

100
dozen pages more. She observes that things have not changed that much.
(CP: 167)

Dattani makes sensible theatrical tools befitting to the theme of

his play. He is also innovative in both theme and stage craft. In this play, he
exploits the old device of chorus in an interesting and innovative manner.
There are two choruses each consists of five persons one of Hindu and
second being Muslim. The chorus enables us to know the inner thoughts and
feelings of the Majority and the Minority. What is inside psyches of the people
of both communities towards each other is revealed in a unique and
interesting manner. The mob/chorus comprises of five men and ten masks on
sticks. The players of mob/ chorus wear a mask by holding the stick in front of
him. There are five Hindus masks and five Muslim masks. The individuality of
the chorus is revealed through chorus 1, chorus 2, etc. The players of the
chorus wear Hindu masks. The social discord is expressed through their
expressions.

Chorus1: The procession has passed through these lanes

Every year,

For forty years!

Chorus 2, 3: How dare they?

Chorus 1, 2, 3: For forty years our chariot has moved though their
mohallas.

Chorus 4,5: Why did they?

Why did they today?

Chorus 1: How dare they?

Chorus 2,3: They broke our rath.

They broke our chariot and felled our Gods!

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Chorus 1,2,3: This is our land!

How dare they? (CP: 168)

There is concord and discord among the members of chorus.

They agree sometime and disagree other time.

Chorus 1: It is in their blood!

Chorus 2, 3: It is in their blood to destroy!

Chorus 4: Why should they?

Chorus 5: It could have been an accident.

Chorus 2: The stone that hit our God was no accident!

Chorus 3: The knife that slit the poojari's stomach was no accident!

Chorus 4, 5: Why should they? It could have been an accident. (CP:

168)

In this way, the members of the chorus continue to question and

counter question. There is a split in their view. Chorus 4 and 5 hold the same
view and Chorus 1, 2, 3 shares the common view. They build their parts to a
crescendo ending on the wordaccident. A little later, they have on Muslim
masks.So they become Muslim chous/mob.

Chorus1: Their chariot fell in our street!

Chorus2: Their God now prostrates before us!

Chorus 3: So they blame it on us?

Chorus 1: Was the chariot built by us?

Chorus 2, 3: Blame the builder of those fancy thrones.

Chorus 4: A manufacturing defect!

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Chorus 5: Doesn't their God have a warranty?

A slow drumbeat. The chorus gathers.

Chorus All. We are neither idol-makers nor idol breakers!

Breaks away.

Chorus 5: But they blamed it on us!

Chorus All. Why did they? Why did they? Why?

Chorus 5: (emotionally).Why?

Pause.

Chorus 3: They say we razed their temples yesterday.

Chorus 2: That we broke their chariot today.

Chorus 1: That well bomb their streets tomorrow.

Chorus All: Why would we? Why? Why? Why would we?

Chorus 5: (emotionally) Why would we?

Chorus 1,2,3 and 4 spit

Chorus: All EXCEPT 5. Let them send us back.

They turn to exit

Chorus 5: (meekly) where? (CP: 171)

In this way, they keep on speaking various utterances. At the

end of this appearance, chorus 5 puts a very meek but a subtle question of
where to go. The harmony and discord is explored through chorus.

Following the attack on rath yatra, the authority has imposed

curfew and it is still on.So there is no exact idea about the happening and
people died in it. Smita's Muslim friend Tasneem is studying in college and
103
stays at Muslim girls hostel which is reported to be bombed, but no injury is
known. Smita and Ramnik Gandhi talked on phone to Tasneem's family at
Jeevnagar and assured of no problem to Tasneem in the hostel.

Ramnik Gandhi:
each other. You see, my daughter is Taneem's classmate

that is why we called-to tell you that. Colleges are closed and
curfew hasn't been lifted, so we assumed you might be worried
about (CP: 170)

This riot reminds Hardika the past incident-attack on her house

in the absence of her father. But this time scene is different. Unlike in
Hussainabad, this time two Muslim boys took shelter at her house. They were
chased and beaten by Hindu fantasist. Hardika sees wretched pride in their
eyes. She is panicky as it would destroy her family again.

Aruna: Our Krishna will protect us.

Hardika: (Sharply) Be careful, I said! (Almost to herself) The dogs have

been let loose. (exits) (CP: 174)

Faith in Lord Krishna expressed differently by Hardika and

Aruna. The latter has much rather deep and unshakable faith in Lord Krishna
and vice versa. As the lights fade on the ramp, two Mulsim boys named Javed
and Bobby appeared and conformed to Hindu Mob. They enquired their
names, business in the town etc. knowing them outstation Muslims. Mob.
/chorus encircles them and two of the mob grab them from behind and snatch
the watch of one of the young men. They were pushed and pulled, they were
beaten severely. The mob search their pockets and wallets and find a bus
ticket, a knotted handkerchief, a tiny prayer cap. The mob is enraged knowing
their identity and say that they are of mouse to them.

104
Chorus All: You pray to a god, you do not know! You pray to a nothing. You
do not know his form. And you seek to destroy our gods! Drive
them out! Kill the sons of swine! Kill the sons of swine! (CP: 178)

Thus, the chorus gives a chase and strikes them behind the two
men run crying in pain and reached to the door of Ramnik Gandhis house
seeking shelter inside his house. They cry Help us! Save us! For Gods sake,
somebody save us! (CP: 179) Javed is finally beaten black and blue. These
boys are begging for protecting them from the mad mob. They enter the
house and Ramnik quickly shuts the door behind him. Now on words, entire
drama takes place inside the Gandhis house.They introduce themselves as
Javed and Bobby-two minority youths. Dattani attempts to explore the root
causes of communal trouble. Reena Mitra observes:

Dattanis Final Solutions, first staged in Bangalore

in 1993, focuses on the problem communal
disharmony between the Hindus and Muslims in
India, especially during the period of the post
partition riots. The analysis of the cause of friction
between the two communities offered by Dattani
carries conviction; as it is endorsed by a study of
human psychology offering valid explanations of
the proclivities and susceptibilities of individuals
under circumstantial pressure. The psychosis that
prevails among the Hindus as well as the Muslims
in India after the events of partition of the country
causes a chain of neurotic reactions to even the
33
most inconsequential

After, Javed and Bobby-two minority youths have sheltered in

Ramnik Gandhis house. The Gandhis have an animated discussion with the
two young men.

105
 On the outside of the Gandhi house, the chorus is yelling and
asking for the two men. The chorus can be heard crying out,
Throw them out!, Well kill them! etc. (CP: 80)

Despite mad and frenzy crowd outside, he plays as a civilized

host.

Chorus All: Throw them out! Give them to us. (CP: 180)

The chorus is pounding with their sticks on floor.

Chorus All: Why won't you open the door?

Javed: (pleadingly to Ramnik). Please dont! We beg of you.

Chorus All: Open up! Or we'll break your door!

Ramnik: No! (CP: 181)

The Chorus has turned furious upon Ramnik for not handing
over these two young boys. They call Ramnik a traitor'.

Ramnik: I stand in front of the door. If you break the door, you will kill me.

Chorus: All. What? You protect them? Then you are a traitor! Traitor!

Sound of glass breaking. Aruna rushes to the image of Krishna.

Ramnik: Go away! Leave us alone!

Chorus All: Traitor! Traitor!

Ramnik: There is nothing you can take from here without killing me first!

Chorus All: Traitor! You are not one of us! We'll kill you too! (CP: 181-82)

Despite the death knocking at his door, Ramnik displays a good

deal of spirit of courage and patience. He is determined not to open the door
and gives them in the hands of the fanatic mob to be killed. His wife also

106
insists him to open the door and take them. Aruna feels panicky and
frightened to be killed by the mob.

The mob decides to wait outside. There is a lot of discussion

between the Gandhis and two men. The first act ends with Smita's arrival. To
the much surprise of the family, Smita greets both the young boys by name.
Her family is surprised at her acquaintance with these two men.The second
act begins with Smita's inquiry about her familiarity with the two refugees.

Smita: Why am I being asked all these questions? I recognize two boys
(Pause. Points to Javed) This is
Tasne Babban-Bobby-
Tasneems fianc. (CP: 189)

Bobby has completed college and Javed is a school drop-out.

Ramnik Gandhi is confused because Javed's father didn't speak anything
about Javed during his telephonic talk. So Javed explains that it is because of
the fact that he doesn't stay with his parents. A stone is hurled inside the
house that reminds them the presence of mob outside.

Javed is a angry, proud and rebellious youth. Bobby is more

meek and polite. Javed is influenced by religious fanaticism. He doesnt live
with his parents. Bobbys real name is Babban, but his friend in college called
him Baboon so he prefers Bobby to Baboon.

There is a discussion about feeling of being majority and

minority.Despite the angry mob waiting outside, Ramnik plays the role of
civilized host because he is from majority and he believes that peace is
hidden inside the armpits of the majority.

Ramnik offers Javed a job in his sari shop in Kapda

Bazaar.Smita denies employing him in the job as he can be hired by anyone.
As per Smita's narration, Javed is thrown out of his house. Smita (to Ramnik).
They hire him! They hire such people!

Ramnik: They who?

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Smita:
They bring him and many more to the city to create riots.
(CP: 195)

Bobby informs Smita that he had won him over. Smita is

horrified at this truth. The word traitor is barely heard. It suggests that the
angry mob is dispersing. The second act ends with the exposure of Javeds
real being. So he pounds his forehead with his fist out of frustration.The act
three begins with the Muslim chorus.They sit with their legs folded under them
in a prayer position.

Chorus 1: Should we be swallowed up? Till they cannot recognize us?

Should we meld into anonymity so they can not hound us? Lose
ourselves in a shapeless mass? Should we? Can we? (CP: 196)

The play also presents the problem how minority can be

acceptable. Racial discrimination is quite visible in the manner Aruna and
Hardika treat these two young boys. Aruna places two glasses of water before
them. After they have drunk water, she holds the glasses with her thumbs and
index fingers, on the sides which have not been touched by their lips. She
takes them away and keeps them separate from the other glasses. Moreover,
Ramnik is surprised to know that Javed is seeing his sister when he doesnt
live with his parents. As Javed replies to Ramnik Javed: (with malice). We do
love our own blood. Unlike you who treat your own like shit which cant be
touched. (CP: 190). Javed criticizes caste discrimination existing in the Hindu
community. He says that the caste-Hindus do not even touch the lower caste
people.

As stated in the beginning, Dattani deals with the post

modernistic issues. The conflict between tradition and modernity is well
exemplified through the conflict between mother and daughterAruna and
Smita. Aruna wants Smita to follow her ideology.Aruna shudders at the idea
that her daughter doesn't have respect for her religion, sanskar, etc.

Aruna: You said it stifles you?

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Smita: What?

Aruna: Does being a Hindu stifle you?

Smita: No, living with one does.

Aruna: I never felt like that. I have always taken pride in my religion. I
(CP: 211)

Aruna tries to impose her belief and ideology upon Smita. Smita
has her clear cut viewpoint. So Aruna feels threatened and insecure. The
clash between Aruna and Smita adds additional tension in Gandhi family.
Arunas guilt is perceived when she comes to know that she has stifled her
daughter with her conventional beliefs and religious rituals. Smita, at some
extent, also feels guilty of disclosing truth confined to her by Tasneem about
Javed. She feels reggrettance for revealing seret t before her family members.

There was a little bit relationship between Smita and Bobby.

Now Bobby is going to marry Tasneem. So, Javed wants to know whether
there is still anything between Smita and Bobby. If so, Smita shouldnt
sacrifice for her friend Tasneem. Smita explains that there is nothing now
between them. As a matter of fact, it was a very little emotional moment
between them. Smita explains, It was just one evening. A conversation that
got a little personal. Nothing more. (CP: 217)

Smita is a girl of liberal views and ideology. She doesnt believe

any false myth or discrimination. Therefore, she allows Javed to fill Gods
water. She is convinced that his touch to pot of water will not bring any curse
upon her family. Despite the communal and familial tension and trouble, there
is the water splashing scene. It is a great beauty and joy of the play. Smita
suddenly splashes water on Javed's face and Bobby and herself.

Smita: Wake up! Wake up! It's morning. (Splashes more water.) There!
There! (CP: 218)

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 In this way, splashes water on each other. It helps them to forget
the prevailing tension and turmoil. Later on, Smita says in a joking mood.
May be we should all run away from home like Javed. For five minutes every
day. So we can quickly gulp in some fresh air and go back in. (Moves down
the ramp) (CP: 219)

It is quite explicit that the national identity mingles with religious

identity. The country was divided in the name of religion. It fosters the false
notions of comingling religious and national identities. This is how Hardika
inquires of the boys.

Javed: We could leave now.

Hardika: Wait! (Pause) Have you ever thought of going to Pakistan?

Bobby: (with control) No.

Javed: (sarcastically). I prefer Dubai. (CP: 221)

It is evident that religion has got personal significance. It doesnt

generate trouble. But trouble comes out of prejudice towards others faith and
religion. The Final Solution lies in acknowledging the similarity and respecting
the difference. The non-recognition of similarities and identification of diversity
in others causes distrust and hatred. It is the root cause of communal hatred
or religious fanaticism. The fundamentalists are blinded by prejudice and
therefore cant see the real truth. Their actions are irrational and unguarded
by right spirit of true faith.Bobby emerges as the hero of the play.His entering
in Aruna's pooja room is one of the most theatrically effective moments. After
removing his footwear, he enters in her pooja room and picks up the image of
Krishna.

Aruna: Don't come here.

Bobby: That we also believe.

All members of the Mob/Chorus have both Hindu and Muslim

masks, one in each hand and they pound the floor thrice.

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Aruna: Stop! (Bobby is near the pooja room) Stop him!

Bobby suddenly picks up image of Krishna which is tiny enough

to sit in his palm.

Put that back! Oh God! No!

Throughout the following scene, Arunas cries are drowned by

the Mob/Chorus.

Bobby: (extends his hands and shows the image to every one) See!
See! I am touching God!

Chorus All: (pounds thrice). We are not idol breakers!

Bobby: Your God! My flesh is holding Him! Look, Javed! And He doesnt
mind! (CP: 224)

Further,

Chorus All: Dont break our pride!

Bobby: Look how He rests in my hands! He knows I cannot harm Him.

He knows His strength! I don't believe in Him but He believes in
me. He smiles! He smiles at our trivial pride and our trivial
shame. (CP: 224)

The play depicts chaos in the country resulting from friction

between the Hindus and the Muslims offering no final solutions for the
eradication of communal disharmony among the members of the both
communities. In fact, the dramatist analyzes the causes and effect of
communal hatred and disgust raising some questions. Alyque Padamsee
aptly puts:

Can we shake off our prejudices or are they in our

psyche like our genes? Will we ever be free or
over

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 whites against blacks, Hindu against Muslims? Are
they any final solutions? 34

Dattani muses over the issue psychologically and

philosophically. He attempts to find out the seed cause of the communal
hatred that has devastated the land. Like a scientist, he believes in theory of
cause and effect. He makes analytical inquiry into the problem for searching
out the truth. He is the seeker of social and psychological truth. The problem
is grounded in the loss of human values and ethical standard. It occurs first in
human consciousness and then in human behavior. So we need to
understand human mind and psyche from where the trouble is originated.
Dattani upholds that prejudice and blind faith nurtures the issue of communal
hatred. It is the outcome of the human altitude and aptitude. He provide theory
of forget and tolerate for fighting back demon of communal turmoil and
tension. As Bobby says;

Bobby: The tragedy is that there is too much that is sacred. But if we
understand and believe in one another, nothing can be
destroyed. (Puts on his footwear and looks at Hardika). And if
you are willing to forget, I am willing to tolerate. (CP: 225)

Dattani uses the pressure of past that makes an individual

behave in a more intimate and understanding way. In this play also, most of
the characters are guilt-ridden. The theme of pressure of past guilt is inter-
woven with the main theme of the communal hatred. The character of Ramnik
feels the burden of guilt. Actually, he carries the guilt of the crime done by his
father and grandfather. Other characters share this pressure for a short while,
but Ramnik is constantly sharing guilt conscious.The younger generation
disapproves the prejudice so they weigh down under the burden of false pride
and prejudice. It is note worthy here that Dattanis dramatic sense and stage
craft ability has spared Hardika from bearing the burden of guilt throughout
the life. The truth which is unknown to her is revealed at the end by Ramnik.

Hardika: What are you talking about?

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Ramnik: (looks at her with pity) Its their shop.Its the same burnt- up
shop we bought from them, at half its value. (pause) And we
burnt it. Your husband. My father. And his father. They had it

Hardika: (crushed) Why didnt you tell me? All these years.

Ramnik: You have to live with this shame only for a few years now. (CP:
226)

Thus, she is dramatically excluded from living with shame and

guilt all these years. It is his guilty consciousness that prompts him to act as a
civilized host when the angry crowd is outside. Santwana Haldar rightly
observes;

Ramniks guilt consciousness is thus perfectly

used for dramatic purpose by Dattani. It is his guilt
consciousness that prompts him to do something
for the two young men who have fallen prey to the
anger of the Hindu fanatics. He behaves as liberal
because he cannot forget the sin of his father and
grandfather. The structure of the play is based on
this guilt consciousness which is introduced as a
major theme.35

At the end of drama, Daksha/Hardika confronts reality and her

resentment is cured. Arun is disillusioned realizing meaninglessness of her
beliefs and rituals.There is a shift in the prejudiced behaviour of Hardika at the
end. She asks:
(CP: 226)

Mahesh Dattani excels in stage craft and art. His theatre is true
to life. In Final Solutions, he deals with the most complex and intricate issue of
communal hatred and racial pride and prejudice towards other community. He

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has employed flashback techniques in this drama. So he invests multilevel
sets.

Ive used time and space in different ways in my

plays. I think all the tools of theatre are available to
a playwright and you just use them the way your
sensibility allows you to use them. 36

The language of the play is the spoken language. Dattani uses

code-mixing device in his plays. In this play, he has made a number of Indian
words such as pooja room, mohallah, rath, poojari, chokra teasing the girls,
pooja-paath, pallav, mehandi, baap re!, hookah, galli, paan, haram ki aulad,
matka, sethani, topi, , karma, supari, gaddar, dupatta, mere own khoon ne
mujjhe maar daala. Daadi, attars etc.

The play succeeds in making us self-critical about our myths

and notions of our faith and rituals. Everybody has his / her religious faith and
creed. Mutual faith and respects can remove communal disharmony and
discord. The members of the both communities should shake off the pride and
ego. Trusting and understanding thoughts and feelings is the possible way to
fight back communal hatred and flame. Prejudice and bias against the other
community is harmful. The dramatist also dismisses the idea of sending the
Muslim community to Pakistan as foolish one. It is not the solution nor is it
possible. Dattani has woven some other themes along with the main theme of
communal turmoil. They are liberal ideology, guilt consciousness, transferred
resentment, articulating ones own voice and anger etc. Final Solutions can be
called the protest against subjugation of fanaticism, blind faith, patriarchal
code, women, etc.

Dattani has made symbolic use of chorus with mask.

Interestingly the mask keeps changing on, but the players of chorus remain
the same. All human beings are alike. The mask is appearance; humanity is
reality, supreme truth. The players put on alternatively Hindu-Muslim masks
and become the Hindu Muslim mob. It suggests that communal identity is

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outer form of the individual, and human identity is the permanent and
transcendental to all. When men are under masks, they question the identity
of others and give chase to the other. It can be said that mask is like
opium.Under the impact of it, man behaves irrationally and causes chaos and
destruction in society. In other words, communal hatred is caused under the
intoxication of prejudice and blind faith.

Dattani has depicted double role of Daksha very purposefully.

The young Daksha is quite unbiased and innocent. There is no hatred in her
heart towards Muslim community. She is befriended to members of Muslim
community. Old Hardika is quite biased especially with Muslim community.
She was unhappy with her husband and in-laws attitude towards Muslim
community. But now she feels that they were right in their behavior. She
received the cruel and barbaric stroke of communal riots in Husainabad. She
writes how her house was attacked and her father was slain by the Muslim
fanatics. Daksha received physical punishment and mental torture for mixing
and eating with Muslim family. She was shocked and grieved. But later on,
she realized that Muslim has the wretched pride and ill will against the Hindu.
Critically speaking, Dattani presents two view points of the same person in
terms of communal attitude. However, at the end, she again realizes that she
was falsely prejudiced against Muslim community especially Zarines family.
Ramnik told her that her husband and his father got their shop burnt to get it
less price in the name of communal trouble. At the close of play, she is
disillusioned and her false notions are removed. Her attitude and feelings are
purged.

Hardika is the synthesis of past and present. The expression of

anger occurs as self defensive mechanism not as manifestation of
belligerence. Dattani shows how people are falsely prejudiced against the
people belonging to other community and react negatively. The dramatist
depicts psychological journey of Hardikas mind through her double role.
When asked by Ranu Oniyal about Final Solutions. Dattani replies,

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 It is basically, dramatically, about two Muslim boys
running away from a mob that is out to kill them
and they seek shelter in a Hindu household,
seemingly liberal minded and their presence
through the night triggers off memories for the
37
matriarch, the older woman, the grandmother.

Like chorus, diary is the significant tool to connect the past with
present. It helps us what happened forty years back during partition. It is a
communication device for talking with spectators. It provides Daksha full
freedom of criticizing and making mockery of her in-laws family. Dattani
resplies:

Absolutely and what Daksha has is her diary and

through the device of the diary, she begins a
dialogue with the audience and that is the only
space that is offered to Daksha because she can
make fun of her in-laws, she could talk very
honestly about her feelings, about her friendship
with the Muslim girls etc. directly to the audience
and that space is denied to her with the with the
other members of her household including her
husband and these are memories that she
retained even in her old age and these memories
are triggered off and feelings of prejudice that had
developed over the years are brought out in
present day situation. So Daksha becomes a
symbol of our historical vision, our sense of
history, how prejudice is formed and how we deal
with the situation today.38

In the play, Dattani pleads for the cause of entire humanity

irrespective of their creed and religion. He places humanism above all. He

116
establishes that human pride and greed leads to the communal disturbance in
Indian Society.Beena Agrawal puts:

Dattani establishes that the love of humanity

eliminates the dark shadows of prejudice; the
solution lies not in external world but within mans
own consciousness. 39

Dattani is ebbed with uncompromising innovative spirit and

unceasing desire for bold theatrical experiments, which has opened up new
avenues of presentations of invisible issues on the stage. On a Muggy Night
in Mumbai is one of bold theatrical experiments on the theme of
homosexuality by Dattani. It is understood that the set rules of society doesnt
allow an individual to create his own designs and own space unless
conforming to them.

And the themes of on a Muggy Night deserve to

touch the whole of society and to be touched by it.
It is not simply the first play in Indian theatre to
handle openly gay themes of love, partnership,
trust and betrayal. It is a play how society creates
patterns of behavior and how easy it is for
individuals to fall victim to the expectations society
creates. 40

The modern society has under gone metamorphosis. As a result

of this, human experiences have become wide and varied. Dattani invests
such noble human experiences in theatrical presentation. Dattani admits:

It is to do with perceptions. I dont mean to say that

this is a definite view of life. But several of images
that we carry around in our minds are politically
generated images and we accept them to be true.
However, I dont think so and my characters are
simply personifications of my perceptions. 41

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 The play On a Muggy Night in Mumbai was first performed at
the Tata Theatre, Mumbai on 23rd November, 1998. The play has succeeded
in evolving interest and curiosity among the audience. Later on, the play was
adopted into a screen play which was produced by Sanjeev Shah. The play
depicts strong passion, betrayal, frustration, conflicts in the lives of the
homosexuals.The play is the dramatists bold attempt to look into the inner
recesses of those who are excluded and forced to live lives with anxiety and
insecurities in a solitude environment. There are multi sets on stage. Actually,
the stage bifurcated into three acting areas. The first area is a small flat,
beautifully done up ethnic chic fashion, located in the up market area of
Marine Drive, though not quite Pali Hill. The second area is completely non-
realistic set comprising three levels. This area is black and expansive and
characters therein are immediately suspended in a Shoonya where they are
forced to confront their inner thoughts and feelings. Below this, there is
Kamleshs bedroom which is realistic but hidden behind a gauze wall, giving it
some mystery and secrecy. The play begins with conversation between
Kamlesh and the guard. Kamlesh has invited his friends to treat his
depression without informing the reason. So he sends the guard for
purchasing refreshment. Instead of using English version, Dattani resorts to
transliteration of Hindi utterances.

Kamlesh: (Takes out some more money from his wallet) Mere kuch dost
ane wale hain. Tum unko aane dena. Tum to pehchante ho sub
ko. (CP: 50)

Prakash and Kamlesh were deeply in love with each other. The
separation between Prakash and Kamlesh causes immense pain and distress
in the heart and mind of Kamlesh. Thereafter, he comes in contact with
Sharad and developes homoric relationship with him. However, Kamlesh cant
adjust himself with Sharad as he is hunted by the memories of Prakash who is
now known as Ed and intends to marry Kiran, divorcee sister of Kamlesh.
Ranjit is visiting from UK, working with HIV counselors. Bunny is a TV artist.
Bunny is doing role of husband/ father in Yeh Hai Hamara Parivaar.

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 The play is full of suspense and revelations. Every act functions
as individual text with rising action leading to the climax. At the end of the
play, all the characters are brought to the light as per their right mental colour
and confusion. The dramatic technique of Dattani helps them in their self
discoveries, self-assertion, self-expression, self-evolutions of their
personalities wrapped in various garbs and garments.

Unity in diversity is the eye catching characteristic of India - a

country of wide and varied cultural, ethnic, religious and language groups.
Despite its diversity, there is oneness that binds them in a single group.In the
same way; there is a uniform urge in terms of art, music etc. Dattani observes:

I am certain that my plays are true reflection of my

time, place and socio economic background. I am
hugely excited and curious to know what the future
holds for me and my art in the new millennium in a
country that has a myriad challenges to face
42
politically, socially, artistically and culturally.

The play appears as the challenge to the accepted and

established notions of love and marriage of our society. If sex is associated
with biological perception, love is associated with the chemistry of human
mind. Society has developed its mechanism for controlling sexual expression
of human beings aiming at procreation. One can satisfy his / her sexual
desires with the person belong to the opposite sex. But one cant do the same
with the person belonging to the same sex. But every person his / her
individual self to do things in his/her own way. So, they deviate from the path
paved by the society and take recourse to unconventional way. Dattani, being
keen observer of this, depicts individuals choice of fulfilling the desire of love
and sex in his/her own way.

Much of mainstream society, Dattani believes,

lives in a state of forced harmony, out of sense of
helplessness, or out of a lack of alternatives.
Simply for lack of choice, they conform to

119
 stereotypes like homosexuals that in some sense
leads to a kind of ghettoisation within society, little
spaces to which the marginalized are pushed. 43

Dattanis plays foreground such characters and instill them with

courage to speak before the public. By doing so, he intends to negotiate the
issue with the society.

Of the characters, Sharad and Deepali are

comfortable with their sexuality, and have different
ways of being gay. Sharad is camp, flaunting;
Deepali more restrained, perhaps more stable.
Kamlesh is anguished, and Ed the most obvious
victim of his own insecurities. Bunny, the TV actor,
is a rather more traditional Indian gay man -
married. (he would say happily) while publicly
denying his own nature, and Ranjit has taken an
easy way out by moving to Europe where he can,
be himself more openly. 44

Dattani dramatizes dynamics of individuals ways of gratifying

carnival desire with a little humourist approach. Dattani provides free air of
expressions to the homosexuals.

Sharad:

Kamlesh: I wanted to love you, I tried for a whole year.

Sharad: But you couldnt

Kamlesh: I do love you.

Sharad: Oh! Spare me the lies!

You could never love anyone because you are still in love with
Prakash! (CP: 56)

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 Thus, Kamleshs love for Prakash is quite strong and unceasing.
It shocks us that gays also have strong bond of love and affection like
heterosexuals. Prakash has deserted Kamlesh and decided to be
heterosexual. Now he is known as Ed. Arrival of Kiran adds more tension in
the atmosphere. She doesnt know past relationship between his brother
Kamlesh and her fianc Prakash. She feels sorry for her brothers conflicts
and suffering. Nobody knows that Ed and Prakash is the same person barring
Kamlesh. When Kiran speaks his full name as Edwin Prakash Methew,
everybody is taken aback to know that Prakash is now flirting with Kiran. So
they feel that they should inform Kiran about the past affiliation between
Prakash and Kamlesh. However Kamlesh denies revealing this secret before
her. The first act ends exposing real identity of Ed/Prakash. It sets forth
actions of the play in new directions. One can say that play passes from one
climax to another.

Sharad: Are you mad? You must be mad!

Deepali: You must tell her!

Kamlesh: You promised! All of you! It doesnt exist.

Sharad: You tricked us! You tricked us to it!

Kamlesh: No.

It should be noted that gay/lesbian relationship is also

possessive and demanding. They also demand dedication and faithfulness to
their relationship and cant bear breach of trust and confidence. Kamlesh
undergoes acute pain and suffering because of Prakashs betrayal. He
doesnt want to come into the way of happiness of his sister Kiran. Therefore,
he doesnt want to reveal truth before her sister. Moreover, his sister has past
bad experience of her first marriage. She barely survives out of that pain and
suffering.

The play maps the gray areas of society which forbids love and
sex relationship between two people of same genders. The play focuses on

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conflicts and desires of the gay/lesbian relationship in our country. It is
revealed that this soil is not comfortable with gay/lesbian relationship. So
there are two ways before them- either they can hide themselves into
heterosexual garb or they leave the county for the west. Bunny and Ranjit are
the fine example of this.

Kamlesh has become nostalgic regarding his erstwhile love

affair with Prakash and has plunged into sorrow and misery. He told a lie to
Sharad that he has torn all photographs. Actually, he has kept one secretely.
All the photographs were not torn but sent to Prakash keeping one with him.
Now he brings out that photograph containg images of Kamlesh and Prakash
holding each other tightly. He wants to overcome from this sadation.
Therefore, he requested his friends to show him the proper remedy of his
illness.

Kamlesh is caught up into the frustration and anger resulting

from the separation from Prakash. He is forlorn and frightened. He had also
approached the psychiatrist to cope up with illness and anguish. But nothing
could help him coming out of it. He ventilates his feelings in the following way.

Kamlesh: I knew I needed medication. I chose the psychiatrist out of the

yellow pages. He pretended to understand. Until he began to tell
me about arersion therapy. For a while, I believed him. Because
the medication helped me cope with my depression better. Until
he said I would never be happy as a gay man. It is impossible to
change society, he said, but it may be possible for you to
reorient yourself. (CP: 69)

On the contrary, Bunny is a gay in disguise. He is married and

well set. He thinks that Kamlesh is unnecessarily bothering all these.
Therefore, he advises Kamlesh to get married with a woman and continue to
his feeling as a gay.

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Bunny: Since you want us to help you let me give you some advice. You
are looking in the wrong places to forget your Prakash. Get
married. (CP: 70)

What is very fascinating about the play is bold and frank

treatment to gay theme given by Dattani. Depiction of gay theme calls for guts
and courage on the part of the dramatist. Dattani handles this post
modernistic issue in a very daring way. He puts the whole issue in a very
dynamic way. He has instilled courage and the spirit into the minds of his
characters that they can openly reveal their gay identity. They dont bother for
the societys aversion and reaction.

Kamlesh: Let them talk! If two men want to love one another, whats the
harm? (CP: 91)

They are so absorbed with their conviction and commitment that

they even dare to leave county for keeping their gay relation and identity intact
and safe.

Ranjit: Call me what you will. My English lover and I have been
together for twelve years now. You lot will never be able to find a
lover in this wretched country! (CP: 71)

Deepali is the most beautifully drawn character in the play. She

asserts, I am all for the gay mens cause. Men deserve only men! (CP: 60)
She is also very bold and enticing lesbian person. She is quite faithful and
content with her lesbian relationship. She is enraged to know various moods
and opinions of homosexuals. Therefore she says Tina and I can tell all of
you to go jump! (CP: 71)

Actions of the play are energized with the process of excorcizing

Kamleshs mind from the Prakashs thoughts. Everybody suggests his/her
opinion regarding freeing Kamlesh from depression. Sharad shows the
photograph. Everybody is eager to have a look. Sharad describes the picture
as, Cheek to cheek, pelvis to pelvis naked (CP: 71-72) Kamlesh forbids him

123
of showing it other. Ultimately all have had a look at it.Kamlesh gets hold of
portrait and stands by the window. Sharad suggests to have a little ritual.
Ranjit also supports his view of doing ritual.

Sharad: Why not? The whole heterosexual world is run by rituals? That
wedding down stair will go on for days! (CP: 72)

The dramatist tries to show how gay people behave and act
under the pressure of traditional culture consciousness which forbids them
indulging in it. The scene in which Kamlesh performs rituals to get rid of
Kamleshs memory by destroying photograph is highly dramatic and amusing
too. The scene also lay bares the internal and psychological vacillation of
Kamleshs mind. He is greatly encouraged by his friends to destroy the
portrait- the last sign of his past relationship with Prakash. However, he
hesitates to do it. As this juncture of action, the arrival of Kiran aggravates his
mental conflicts and diverts the action. Now Prakash is a lover of his sister
Kiran. So he feels acute pain and dilemma. Kiran is eager to introduce her
fianc Ed and her desire to share her views with others is exceedingly thrilling
and sensational. Very few dramatists like Dattani can invest and explore such
scene which creates emotional tension and turmoil in the mind of the
character. Dattani has both dramatic guts and ability to handle such complex
situation which places him in the row of playwrights of international repute like
Shakespeare, Osborn and so on.It shocks every one that Kamlesh has
approved and encouraged the relationship between Kiran and Prakash. He
has sacrificed his feelings for his sister.

Everybody is puzzled as how to reveal truth before Kiran.

Deepali is very keen to disclose the truth to Kiran by showing the photograph
of Kamlesh and Prakash. Bunny objects her idea saying that she is creating
trouble where there is no trouble. Deepali is firm in her view.

Deepali: She must know the truth! She thinks she is marrying someone
who loves her very much. (CP: 84)

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 Bunny pleads that he loves his wife and cares for her very
much. She is quite content and boasts about his work to all their neighbors.
He is giving much more happiness than another heterosexual man. His
children and his wife love him very much. But Deepali thinks that he cannot
love his wife with the same intensity with which he can love a man. Kamlesh
is also unwilling to disclose the truth. He says that Prakash has changed to
become heterosexual.

Kamlesh: He goes to church every week now. They put him on to a

psychiatrist. He believes his love for me was the work of the
devil. Now the devil has left him.

Sharad: Now the devil has put him on to your sister. Ill tell you what.
Show her the photograph. Let her know who the devil is. (CP:
85)

The third act begins with the lights fade in on the living room of
Kamlesh. The homosexuals express their displeasure to the raucous tunes
and lusty cries of the baraat. Ranjit shuts the window to faint the hooting and
whistling of the wedding party.The dramatist depicts the twin issues of gender
and alternate sexuality in this play.

The gay matter in On a Muggy Night in Mumbai is

most pervasive, and while the treatment is radical
the denouement is abrasive. Two contrastive
scenarios are conceived to offset each other. In
one, Ed, the gay man breaks down after assaulting
his male partner Kamlesh following the disclosure
of their relation from a just recovered tell tale
clandestine photograph and in the other the air of
celebration prevails sound of bursting fire crackers
and lusty yells is heard from the wedding below.
This contrastive juxtaposition is a clever dramatic
device of Dattani to focus on the infructuous
45

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 The dramatist discusses the issue of conversion of homosexual
to heterosexual with socio-psychological ground. The play raises a question.
Can a gay be a strait? The play also discusses on the issue of marriage
both conventional and unconventional between the gays. Through the
character of Kiran, the dramatist presents bad consequences of conventional
marriage. Then the question arises is who is happy? Bunny is a gay. He has
married a woman and has children. He thinks that his wife and children are
quite happy and love him. Moreover, all the characters present over there are
gays. So they dont understand the importance and necessity of conventional
marriage. Of course, Ed has changed from gay to straight. So he sees the
wedding in the different way.

Ed: Look around you. Look outside. (Goes to the window and flings
it open.) Look at that wedding crowd! There are real men and
women out there! You have to see them to know what I mean.
But you dont want to. You dont want to look at the world

own little bubble. (CP: 99)

While mapping the space for the homosexual, Dattani also

throws some light on the heterosexuals especially who undergo bitter
experience of marriage. Kiran is tortured and troubled by her earlier husband
and how she falls into the scheme of her lover Ed. She is subjected to mental
aguish and pain after knowing past relationship between her lover and
brother. Her future course of action is quite uncertain and unpredictable.

The homosexuals of the play can also be compartmentalized

into three categories. Some homo/lesbians are trying to be straight and some
of them are bi-sexual, whereas some others are content with their present
identity as a pure gay. Deepali is one such character who is quite satisfied as
a gay person.

The dramatist problematizes the whole issue of gay relationship

and analyzes the world of gay people expecting public participation on the
problem under discussion. The play presents the deception and betrayal

126
prevailing in the world of the gays. The dramatist unveils deceptions and trick
covered into hypocrisy.

For the fault is not just the characters it is

everyones, in a society which not only condones
but encourages hypocrisy, which demands deceit
and negation, rather than allowing self-expression,
responsibility and dignity. 46

It is pertinent to note that despite gays, they are bold and self-
expressive. They also realize the importance of heterosexual man and the
power they exercise.They consider them real man-woman.

The homosexual wants to be powerful and commanding like the

man-real man of society. They want to belong to the world of real man and
woman. That is why Sharad wants to be straight. Different characters have
different views about the world of real man-woman. At the end of the play, all
the characters have made themselves very clear.
Each act builds to a climax of revelations and self
discoveries. By the end of the play, Ed is seen as
the most pathetic and self deluding of all the
characters but Kamlesh too deceives himself and
exploits others. (The guard, for example). The
photo of Ed and Kamlesh together becomes
emblematic (again a typical Dattani touch) of all
that was good in their love, but which has now
turned or been turned against that love. The
instructive wedding music becomes the
accompaniment to a dance of death indoors and
the audience must go through the classic cathartic
emotions of terror and pity as the characters
masks full, their emotions unravel and their lives
47

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 The secret of Kamlesh-Prakash gay love is exposed providing a
great shock to Kiran. Once again, Kirans life is filled with misery and malady.
She is compelled to leave Ed forever. She is infuriated and anguished upon
her brother Kamlesh who deceives her by not telling the truth. All the same,
she is to repose trust in him.The end of the play is self revelatory and self
expressive as well as self evalutcive facilitating the process of self-discovery.
They have to know what they have achieved and where they have failed in
life.

In this play, Dattani examines the psychology of

persons who are by nature, gays or bi-sexual
and the desire on the part of some of them to turn
heterosexual. This may seem to be an unusual
theme in the Indian context. But in real life such
characters do exist. Hence, Dattani has re-created
48

Dattani takes a plunge into the inner recesses of the characters,

who desire to be the gay. It appears that the gays are puzzled about their
identity in society. If they fulfill longing of being a gay, it will damage their
identities and recognition in society which disapprove gay relationship and
promotes marriage between heterosexual. Their sexuality is endangered and
engulfed by the rules and regulation of the society.They kow tow before the
unwritten laws of society. Torn between longing and identity, characters try to
find out other alternatives.The clash results from their contradictory nature
with culture of society in which they belong to.

There is a binary opposition between their nature

and the culture of their society. This dichotomy
between nature and culture obstructs their love
and poisons their minds. The note of revolt against
the society is unmistable. In the page of
49
globalization, nature triumphs over culture.

128
 Dattani is very dexterous in symbolic presentation. There are
two worlds in the play- the world of heterosexual and world of homosexuals.
They are separated by the window of the Kamleshs room. The opening and
shutting down of window is very symbolic. The heterosexual are enjoying in
light where as homos are forced to confine in the darkness. They see the
world of heterosexuals through the window. Mrs. Merchants affair and barat
are visible when window is opened. It means that they are sharing light where
as the homos are sharing the darkness. Thats why Kamlesh doesnt like to
keep window open. He also doesnt like Sharads looking out through window.
Being asked homosexualism or lesbianism, Dattani replies:

It is natural although it is not the norm in any of the

species. Like being left-handed in a predominantly
right-handed world. 50

In this way, Dattani is convinced that gay relationship is not

something that is called abnormal or disgusting. It occupies little space, but it
does exist in a normal way. It is common knowledge to put that there are so
many people in our society who are pursuing sexual pleasure with the
partners of their same sex. It doesnt create much hustle and bustle in society.
But here, the play depicts the issue of love marriage between same sex
persons and breach of the relationship.So it generates turbulence and
tension.

The play also provides fine platform for the discussion on

general belief or concept of man. The play ends with Sharad singing a song
What makes A Man A Man? (CP: 111). He goes offstage singing I ask
(CP: 111) This is
the stroke of Dattanis dramatic technique. He dramatically mingles the issue
of self-identity with the issue of gay love and same sex-marriage. It lends an
extra load and pressure to the play and also philosophizes the whole
discussion.

Dattani is true dramatic genius who voids the variation between

the paper script and performance creating the voice of the subordinate

129
colonized sections of our society. He has an awareness and also ability to
look into the invisible or taboo issue wrapped in web of hypocrisy and
tradition.

The gay are torn between social tradition and individuals choice
of sexual pleasure. He has prepared stage considering mental spaces of the
characters of the play. His innovative stage technique is so effective that his
encoded text message ceases to be self-reflective.

His use of stage craft is extremely intricate and it

makes the text echoing multiple connotations. For
dramatic representation is neither a matter of the
description nor of presentation but it is a matter of
evocation. It is only with appropriate performance
that the experience becomes vital and
51

Our society has exclusively promoted heterosexual relationship

as the prime mode of sexual expression, as it is only means of survival human
race on the earth. So gay relationship has been greatly discouraged and
looked upon as an act of contempt and disgust since time immemorial.

Dattanis plays come as a challenge to our conservative Indian

society. It strikes at the root of concept of continuity of civilization through the
promotion of idea of centrality of heterosexual relationship in society, where
the gays are subjected to exclusion and contempt. The play presents struggle
and repulsions of the gays against the backdrop of the culture which bans on
gay relationship. Longing for social approval and freedom is lurking in the
hearts of the most of the characters. Non corresponding nature of the
character with society is the under prevailing heat of the muggy night. The
dramatist shows societal self and individual self at conflict. Here heat signifies
the conflict prevailing in the minds of the characters. It is observed:

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 For the Indian male, fear of losing his identity could
be the prime reason for clinging onto regressive
role- playing. 52

Refusal of social approval and conversion into a strait is at the

centre of their discussion and deliberation. While commenting on the Mango
Souffl, film adaption of the play Muggy Night in Mumbai, Dattani puts:

There are grey areas in peoples relationship with

others too, and through my film, I have brought
them to notice. 53

The characters are sick and depressed but they are not crippled
ethically.They are struggling to cater their own needs and necessity. The
social rules and regulations are in their way of fulfillment of their desires.It is
observed:

In both these plays, On a Muggy Night in Mumbai

and Do Needful, the dramatist while expressing his
sympathy for gays who are not morally degraded
but mentally sick, expose their struggle with their
own inner selves. The possibility of the shared
spaces common to women and homosexual is put
to active use here with the identities of its
protagonists. The common oppressor is the
patriarchal structure that refuses to allow any
space for the growth of individual beyond a set
54
pattern of gender determine

The characters suffer due to accepted norms of sexual

expression. Heterosexuality is a rule and homosexuality is deemed to be an
act of trespassing or ethical pervasion. The resistance against this value
generates conflicts leading to emotional crisis in the lives of characters. It is
explained,

131
 on a more personal level, however, the term gay
also brought with it and in creakingly wide spread
reference to sexuality as a quality or property of
the self: A person has a sexuality, gay or
otherwise, which can be reflexibly grasped,
interrogated and developed. 55

Dattanis dramatic genius is so innovative and radical that he

can depict excluded and forbidden issues very successfully. He observes that
there are certain issues which die in the minds of the persons. The gay desire
is lying in the human psyche and is very essential to deal with in a proper
way.

The play Thirty Days in September, cleft into three acts, is a

tragic tale of a childs sexual abuse. The play was first performed at the Prithvi
Theatre, Mumbai on 31st May, 2001. The play was commissioned by RAHI, a
support group for women survivors of incest. Little Dubey observes;

Thirty Days in September has touched hearts and

consciences everywhere. Sensitive and powerful
without ever offending sensibilities, it manages to
bring home the horror and the pain within the
framework of a very identifiable mother-daughter
relationship. 56

Dynamic and innovative theatrical art of Dattani captures the

stark reality of life. He is famous for presenting taboo issues like
homosexuality, childs sexual abuse, mal treatment to the eunuch, prostitution
etc. In the present play, Dattani reflects on the problem of sexual molestation
of the child and far reaching impact thereof.

Dattani has used segmented stage. The stage is divided into

four acting areas. All the action moves without any set changes between
scenes. The play begins with Malas talking to the imagined counsellor in the
single seater opposite to her. She doesnt talk to the audience. Her

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conversation is being taped, but she is not aware of it. Mala Khatri is a young
girl protagonist of the play. She is victimized through sexual colonialism. She
tolerates sexual molestation silently during her childhood period. She realizes
the pain and agony of this after coming into adolescent period. She feels that
her existence is caught into hostile surrounding. It is a disgusting tale of
incest-illicit sexual relationship between the nearest kindred. Mala is molested
by her nearest relative. She feels that human relationship is a betrayal and
weighs down under the pressure of such horrible realization. Mala becomes
the victim of sensuous desires of her uncle Vinay who traps Mala into sexual
web for gratifying his filthy passion and lust for sexuality. What is more
shocking and heart -rending to Mala is that her own mother, Shanta who
observes silence against injustice done to her.

Malas mind is haunted by the past memories of her molestation.

Child sexual Abuse (CSA) is an umbrella term which covers any sexual
activity with the child by an adult. It is observed that incest creates the worst
horror and prolonged psychological trauma. Sometimes it leads to further
victimization when the child grows adult. Malas case is like this. Sometime,
we feel that fault lies with Mala who attracts other men and invite them for
sexual gratifications. She acts as a girl of loose character, but the perversion
in her present behavior is caused by her molestation during childhood. She
understands reasons working behind her mental disorder and hostility towards
socio-cultural context. Therefore, she tells Deepak that he cant just
understand her as he is unaware of her wounded psyche propensity for such
sexual colonialism in future.Both Mala and her mother Shanta are gasping
under the uncompromising guilt. Shanta has sought consolation in singing
Mere to Giridhar Gopal, Doosro na koi, Mere to Giridhar Gopal (CPII: 9)

The most of Dattani plays are located in urban milieu. The

present play is also located in upper middle class family in Delhi. Dattani
explores very cleverly the invisible issue of child sexual abuse. He puts:

I would see the setting of Thirty Days is upper

middle class. I choose this setting because I did

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 not want them to dismiss sexual abuse as
something that does not happen to people like
them. 57

The most of the actions of the play are performed in the living
room of Shanta and Malas home in suburb of Delhi. It occupies the central
portion of stage. The dominant feature is a large picture of Shri Krishna.
Moreover, a life sized doll of seven years old girl is placed on the chair in the
background. With lights fade on her, Mala is seen seated at the counselors
desk. She is disconnected from the society and is more at peace with herself.
She has taken a journey and has arrived somewhere, psychologically. It is
visible in her bodily gestures. The play begins with confessional tone. It is self
realization of the sin born out of incest -her molestation by her uncle Vinay.
The play opens with Malas furious but painful assertations:

nothing to hide. Not for me. After all, it is he who must hide. He should change
his name, not me. It is he who must avoid being recognized. In peoples
homes, at parties, hopefully even on the streets. He should look other way
when someone spots him anywhere on this planet. And I can make that

thinking about it almost as if it were a pleasant memory.) I wish he were here

now, so I could see his face when I tell him I have nothing to hide. Because I
kno (CPII: 8)

Mala is frustrated and grieved after the realization of the

awfulness of the thing. She feels acute pain and trauma that her life is ruined
and she stands nowhere. She carries the burden of the incest. She was
falsely persuaded and tempted to do it by her uncle.

Mala, as a child, unaware the consequences of the relation, was

seduced and molested. She might or might not enjoy it, but she acutely
experiences now the horror and hideousness of the thing. She derives self
consolation that she was innocent and ignorant. She didnt know anything. It

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wasnt her fault. She should not feel shame and guilt. She blames her demon
uncle Vinay who preyed her into that sinister behavior. It is observed:

In dealing with the dynamics of human relationship

within the range of theatre, Dattani expresses his
concern for taboo relationship, discrimination of
the values on the basis of gender, prejudices,
uncertain liasions and the disgust for sexual
colonialism. 58

Mala analyzes the whole events and the way it procedes. She
hates herself and calls herself characterless person. Gradually, her wrath and
anger diverts towards her mother. The reality is that she is quilt ridden. She
feels anguish and agony at the idea of her illicit affairs. She is convinced that
it could have been averted if her mother cared for her. This is the real cause
behind acute anguish and agony of Malas mind. Dattani seems to assert that
betrayal within the framework of the familial relationship generates unbearable
anguish and frustration. Shantas betrayal causes the worst horror in Malas
life. As Mala painfully puts:

I dont know. I cant explain it. The only person who can, who
could have prevented all this is my mother. Sometimes I wish
she would just tell me to stop. She could have prevented a lot
(CPII: 18)

Shanta turns to the portrait of Shri Krishna whenever she

doesnt want to respond the question asked by Mala. So, in a fit of anger,
Mala gives a threat of throwing that picture out of the house.

There is some sort of relation between Deepak, a young boy of

a colonel named Bhatia, and Mala. The boy is ready to marry Mala, but she
avoids marrying him. Shanta also wants her marriage with Deepak. Moreover,
Shanta has known his family. She is anxious to get Mala settled as early as
possible. The main motive behind her marriage is to enable Mala to forget all
that have happened. However, Mala is not keen to marry him. She is highly

135
enraged and angered upon her mother.Mala expresses her anger and wrath
towards her mother in the following way.

Mala
because thats what I got whenever I came to you, hurt and
crying. Instead of listening to what I had to say, you stuffed me

and I wont ever let you forget that! (CPII: 24)

Shanta tries to escape from the reality- the molestation of her

daughter by her uncle Vinay. After reading rape case in news paper, she told
her what had happened to her. Her mother, instead of taking it seriously,
changed the topic. Mala blames her saying that she has never listened to her
problem and pain. Even today, Shanta asks Mala to forget it as a nightmare.

Shanta:

Mala: I am not talking about a bad dream! I am talking about the time
when uncle Vinay would molest me. When I was seven. Then
eight. Nine. Ten. Every vacation when we went to visit him or
when he came to stay with us. You were busy in either the
Pooja room or the Kitchen. I would go to papa and cry. Before I
could even tell him why I was crying he would tell me to go to
you. You always fed me and- and you never said it but I knew
what you were saying to me without words. That I should eat
well and go to sleep and the pain will go away. And, and-oh
God! It did go away. But it comes back. It didnt go away forever!
(CPII: 25-26)

Shanta lied to Mala that Shantas husband left the family and
stayed with other woman. However, he continued to send money every month
and paid the rent. He had never visited in fifteen years.Mala blamed her for
this tragedy. Presently, Mala is thirty plus and wants to be a little girl- devoid
of all the scars that causes the anguish and agony.Later on, Mala realizes that

136
he left because of her mother.Shantas brother Vinay bought her a flat. Mala
didnt like it. So, she blames her mother that she had asked him for that.

Shanta: I didnt ask for this, Mala. I did not.

Mala: Yes you did. He didnt just buy a flat. He bought you!

Shanta: Thats not true! Oh God!

Mala: He bought your silence. So that you can never tell anyone what
he did to your daughter!

Sigmund Freud, one of the famous thinkers in the whole range

of history of psychology and the founder of psycho analysis, has explained
dynamics of interpersonal human relationship banking on sexual needs and
instincts of human beings. Human being is basically a biological phenomenon
and subject to sexual urges. He upholds that suppression of sexual urges
brings adverse consequences in the behaviours and action of human beings.
Sometimes, it affects the natural course of human action and causes the
behavioral perversion.

However, Karen Horney, the founder of American Institute of

psychoanalysis, objects to the certain theories propounded by Sigmund
Freud. She attributes that discontent for civilization results from basic
anxiety.59 Every child needs to be catered with proper warmth and love as
well as attention and affection. The deficienciency of these things facilitate
non-amicable dealings with the surroundings and ultimately leads towards
neurotic order. The child placed in non-corresponding social and familial
environment in terms of love and affection turns out to be the hostile to the
world showing contempt for cultural values and social canons. Like a
psychologist, Dattani contemplates on the disintegrated self and its abnormal
responses in this play.

Mala suffers from the pain resulting from her sense of guilt and
shame. The molestation by her uncle and silence against this crime,

137
maintained by her mother keeps Mala constantly at unrest and anxiety. Karen
Horney vieved:

neuroses are generated by cultural disturbances

and conflicts which the person has experienced in
accentuated form mainly in childhood, in which he
did not receive love, guidance, respect,
opportunities for growth. She described the
neurotic character structure as a dynamic process
with basic anxiety, defenses against anxiety,
conflict, and solutions to conflict as its essential
elements. 60

She observes that every human being has an innate drive

towards self-realization and that neurosis is essentially a process obstructing
this healthy development.

Dattani depicts multiple layers of Malas slain psyche. Mala

feels pangs of guilt of her own fault and also of her mother. She holds her
mother as well as herself responsible for her physical and mental disorder.
Her conscience is constantly biting her. She has fragmented and disordered
consciousness. She finds herself unable to adjust with the other human
beings of her surroundings. She feels a sense of uprootedness and alienation.
Her behaviour is conflicting to the socio- cultural connotation and context. This
prevents her accepting proposal of marriage from Deepak. She says that she
cant marry him. He cannot understand her problem.

Deepak: Why not?

Mala: You dont understand! You JUST DONT UNDERSTAND! I

cannot love you. (CPII: 54)

Malas self is fragmented and disordered. Therefore, Dattani

makes use of incomptele sentences, monologues, recorded voice and other
symbols. The dolls symbol is very effective. It corresponds with the idea of

138
numbness or silence which Shanta maintains against victimization of her
daughter for sexual gratification. It also symbolizes that Mala is not permitted
to express reality by society. Generally, Dattani takes up serious issues for
the contemplation. As an abled artist, he fuses comic or funny scenes with the
serious ones. Thirty Days in September is completely somber drama. The
seriousness and horror is so powerful that doesnt allow him to be funny. He
admits:

I sometimes see the funny side of even the tragic

events that I am conceived with. But in Thirty
Days, I did not have that scope. Theres no way
you can see the funny side. 61

The play features the emotional crisis resulting from the lack of
parental love and care during the childhood period. After the molestation,
Mala needed love and guidance, care and concentration from her parents.
Unfortunately, she was deprived of it. Her mother decided to be a deaf and
dumb, to her pain and suffering. This aggravates her pain and suffering as
well as her agony and anguish. Instead of responding her cry sympathetically,
Shanta has sought shelter at the lap of Gopal (God) leaving innocent flower to
be crushed and distorted under this modern Kansh (demon) who kills seven
children of his own sister. His were the mortal wounds, but Malas demon
uncle has made incurable wounds on her mind, body and soul. They are the
physical, psychological and spiritual wounds. The dramatist projects
fragmented existence of Mala in the play. Malas self is divided and her
psyche is slain and her consciousness is scarred.

Dattani is famous for employing flash back or time shift device.

In this play also, he depicts the past and present with the shift of memory.His
plays focus on the margin both issues and the people. Like marginalization of
the certain sections of society, some issues are also thrown at the periphery.
Dattani locates these issues and presents them through his theatrical art.
Child sexual abuse is the issue thrown at the periphery dismissing it
associated with the labour class. Dattani breaks this conventional notion by

139
depicting it in the middle class family of Delhi in this play. Dattani doesnt look
at the thing wearing conventional spectacle of the society. He looks at the
theme other way and takes a plunge beneath the surface for searching truth,
which is shocking and challenging. He first puts the truth on the page in form
of script and presents on the stage in his own innovative and daring way
afterwards. He facilitates direct communication between his victimized
characters and audience offering brain storming exercise to the audience
about the problem dramatized so. In this way, he opens up channels of
communications between the suppressed and the members of society.

Thirty Days in September depicts the raw emotion of the

character and the naked realities covered beneath the cloaks of hypocrisy,
shamness of behavior, social or familial relationship, silence or numbuess of
the people etc. Shanta observed silence against the molestation of her
daughter, Mala by her brother Vinay. She puts on cloak of silence for avoiding
the protest for the injustice. Asha Kuthari Chaudhuri rightly observes in this
connection:

Child sexual abuse spans a range of problems, but

it is this complicity of the family through silence
and lack of protest that is the ultimate betrayal for
62
the abused.

In a vain attempt of defending herself, Shanta, holds Mala

responsible for the tragedy arguing that she has willingly participated in the
molestation for deriving carnival pleasure. In fact, Shanta fails to perceive
Malas ignorance and immaturity for understanding such things. Her seeming
pleasure is not real pleasure, but it is her ignorance. She wasnt old enough to
understand horror of the things. So when she grows and understands the
stark reality, her bliss becomes perpetual damnation of her soul and identity.
Her pleasure becomes the protest against the betrayal especially towards her
mother who betrays her by maintaining silence. The result is uprising and
aggression. It is attributed:

140
 Aggression and violence are unquestionably male
while submission and vulnerability are traditionally
female. But of late women writers are not only
exploring the issues of female autonomy and female
vulnerability but are showing how in the face of male
violence, women do respond by committing it
against others, though after enduring all kinds of
hardship and always as the last resort. 63

Among others, realization and redemption are the two dominant

functions of the literature. The play realizes its child protagonist her self-guilt
and redempts her. She feels the pain of sin resulting from realization of fifth of
self guilt. It is because of this guilt consciousness that discourages her
interaction with psychiatrist. As Mala says,

(CP: 9)

Critically, Mala is weighed down at the realization that besides

being it physical molestation, it was a rape of her honour and identity as well
as her soul and innocence.

Dattani doesnt offer any specific theory of feminism nor does he

make attempt of moralizing the audience. He is neither preacher nor teacher
of values and ideas prevalent in society. He is a presenter of stark realities of
urban life. His characters are suffering from the past quilt and sin. So, his
dramatic art provides a space for redempting their mind and soul.

At the end of the play, Shanta responds painfully to Malas

question of being remained silent.

Shanta : I remained silent not because I wanted to, but I didnt know how
to speak. I-I cannot speak. I cannot say anything. My tongue

141
 Deepak) Please save her. I did
not save her. I did not know how to save her. How could I save
her when I could not save myself? (CPII: 54-55)

Shanta breaks the silence and voices her pain and suffering.
She tells how and what had happened to her when she was of six.

Shanta:
only summer holidays. For ten years! For ten years! (pointing to
the picture of God) I looked to Him. I didnt feel anything. I didnt
feel pain. I didnt feel pleasure, only silence. Silence means
Shanti. Shanti. But my tongue is cut off. No. No. It just fell off
(CPII: 55)

Thus, Mala realizes the real reason of her mothers silence. She
also had the same pain to feel and forget. Therefore Mala says:

cused you of not recognizing my pain, you never felt

any anger at me for not recognizing yours. We were both
struggling to survive but- I never acknowledged
Its not your fault, mother. Just as it wasnt my fault. Please, tell
me that youve forgiven me for blaming you. Please tell me that.
(CPII: 58)
His dramatic art has humanitarian touch. It enables the
character overcome from the permanent feeling of the sin or evil. At the end,
Mala is realized greater truth- the reasons working behind her mothers
silence and her own negligence towards her mothers plight. Therefore, she
tells her mother at the close of the play:

Please let me be of help. (Gently turning her mothers face

towards her) Its not your fault, mother. Just as it wasnt my fault.
Please, tell me that youve forgiven me for blaming you. Please
tell me that. (CPII: 58)

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 Mala realizes the victimization of her own mother and pain
resulting from it. She feels relived and relaxed. Shanta is praying God and she
rests her head in her lap. She is attached to her now. She feels that they are
not at fault. They are the victims of others. Dattani very skillfully shows the
theme of sin, suffering and salvation. Mala commits sin out of innocence. She
suffers when she realizes the horror of the thing.

Various opinions and interpretation are available on salvation. In

Christianity, it is associated with Jesus Christ who saves mankind by incurring
punishment of death upon himself. There are some other religious schools
which maintain that it is achieved by utilizing inner human resources such as
meditation, accumulation of wisdom, asceticism, rituals or good deeds.

Soteriology deals with theological analysis of

salvation offering the means to achieve it. In a
sense, salvation is deliverance or redemption
from sin and its effects. 64

Mala blames herself and feels the filth of self guilt. Eventually,
she realizes that neither her mother nor she is at fault. Her emotions are
purged and notions are changed. She is redempted from the suffering
resulting from the self consciousness of the filthiness and ugliness of the guilt.

The fragmented utterances, violent images, coarse dialogues,

self blaming, haunted images etc. shows tension and turmoil in the mind of
Mala. It also shows how the evil of sexual colonialism turns the womans life
into a hell of sin and suffering and forces her into a perrenial pain and self
accusation. Such crime damages the woman psyche and becomes the
permanent part of her consciousness.

A close look at Dattanis plays reveals that they dramatize

fractures of familial relationship which is the characteristic feature of modern
Indian urban society. They live under the same roof, but shares different
views and ideas towards life and world. Thirty Days in September depicts the

143
issue which involves psychological and sociological speculations along with
philosophical and moral musings over the things.

The play begins with Malas self realization and self accusation
and also sense of betrayal towards her mother who observed silence against
molestation of her daughter in her puberty. The further actions of the play are
energized with this. The climax comes when Shanta, breaks her long
observed silence the narrating her unhappy lot and her inability to save her
daughter from demon brother. With this revelation the play takes newer track
and ends with happy union between mother and daughter as though wrapped
in grief and remorse.

144
 References:

1. Raina, Sita, A Note on the Play, Where Theres a Will in Collected

Plays Mahesh Dattani, New Delhi: Penguin Books, 2000. p. 451
2. Ibid., p. 451
3. Kuthari Chaudhuri, Asha, Contemporary Indian Writers in English
Mahesh Dattani, New Delhi: Foundation Books Pvt.Ltd.
Cambridge House, 2005. p. 57
4. Raina, Sita, A Note on the Play, Where Theres a Will in Collected
Plays Mahesh Dattani, New Delhi: Penguin Books, 2000. p. 451
5. Agrawal ,Beena, Mahesh Dattanis Plays A new Horizon in Indian
Theatre, Jaipur, India: Book Enclave, 2008. p. 107
6. Jha, Jai Shankar, Death as Discovery in Dattanis Where Theres a
Will in The Dramatic World of Mahesh Dattani A Critical
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7. No time for Tragedy quoted in Ronald Hayman, Contemporary
Playwrights, London: Heinemann, 1969. p. 95
8. Agrawal ,Beena, Mahesh Dattanis Plays A new Horizon in Indian
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9. Uniyal, Ranu, Conversing with Mahesh Dattani in The Plays of
Mahesh Dattani, A critical Response edited by R. K. Dhawan &
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10. Devanesen, Mithran, A Note on the play, Dance Like a Man in
Collected Plays Mahesh Dattani, Penguin Books, New Delhi,
2000. p. 383
11. Agrawal ,Beena, Mahesh Dattanis Plays A new Horizon in Indian
Theatre, Jaipur, India: Book Enclave, 2008. p.104
12. Summanaspati, Leading the Charge, The Hindu, 12th August, 2002
13. Agrawal, Beena, Mahesh Dattanis Plays A new Horizon in Indian
Theatre, Jaipur, India: Book Enclave, 2008. p. 104

145
14. Devanesen, Mithran, A Note on the play, Dance Like a Man in
Collected Plays Mahesh Dattani, New Delhi: Penguin Books,
2000. p. 383
15. Nicoll, Allardyce, Quoted in Agrawal, Beena, Mahesh Dattanis Plays A
New Horizon in Indian Theatre, Jaipur, India: Book Enclave,
2008. p.97
16. Devanesen, Mithran, A Note on the play, Dance Like a Man in
Collected Plays Mahesh Dattani, New Delhi: Penguin Books,
2000. p. 383
17. Dattani, Mahesh, http://www.anitanair.net/pages/profiles-md.htm
18. Kuthari Chaudhuri, Asha, Contemporary Indian Writers in English
Mahesh Dattani, New Delhi: Foundation Books Pvt.Ltd.
Cambridge House,2005., p. 25
19. Subramanyam, Laxmi (edi.), Muffled Voices:Women in Modern Indian
Theatre,New Delhi: Shakti,2002, p.134
20. Mee, Erin, A Note on the Play, Tara in Collected Plays Mahesh
Dattani, New Delhi: Penguin Books, 2000. p. 319
21. Rich, A., Of Women Born, New York: Bantam, 1967. p. 45
22. Agrawal, Beena, Mahesh Dattanis Plays A New Horizon in Indian
Theatre, Jaipur, India: Book Enclave, 2008. p.89-90
23. Subramanyam, Laxmi (edi.), Muffled Voices:Women in Modern Indian
Theatre,New Delhi: Shakti, 2002. p.134
24. Agrawal, Beena, Mahesh Dattanis Plays A new Horizon in Indian
Theatre, Jaipur, India: Book Enclave, 2008 p.93
25. Mee, Erin, A Note on the Play, Tara in Collected Plays Mahesh
Dattani, New Delhi: Penguin Books, 2000 p. 319
26. Ibid., p. 319
27. Prasad, G J V, Terrifying Tara : The Angst of the Family in Mahesh
Dattanis Plays Critical Perspectives, Angelie Multani, New
Delhi: Pencraft International, 2007. p. 141
28. Walling, Michael., A Note on the Play, Bravely Fought the Queen, in
Collected Plays Mahesh Dattani, New Delhi: Penguin Books,
2000. p. 229

146
29. Ibid., p. 230
30. Padamsee, Alyque, A Note on the Play, Final Solutions in Collected
Plays Mahesh Dattani, New Delhi: Penguin Books, 2000. p. 161
31. Ibid., p. 161
32. Ibid., p. 161
33. Mitra, Reena, Mahesh Dattanis Final Solutions and Other Plays; A
Living Dramatic Experience, in The Plays of Mahesh Dattani A
Critical Response, ed. R. K. Dhawan and Tanu pant New Delhi:
Prestige, 2005. p. 129
34. Padamsee, Alyque, A Note on the Play, Final Solutions, Collected
Plays Mahesh Dattani, New Delhi: Penguin Books, 2000. p. 161
35. Haldar, Santwana, Mahesh Dattanis Final Solutions A critical study,
New Delhi: Asia Book Club, 2008. p. 84
36. Mohanty, Sachidananda, Theatre: Reaching out to people An
Interview with Mahesh Dattani in The Plays of Mahesh Dattani
A critical Response, ed. R. K. Dhawan and Tanu Pant p. 173
37. Uniyal, Ranu, Conversing with Mahesh Dattani, in The Plays of
Mahesh Dattani, A critical Response edited by R. K. Dhawan &
Tanu Pant, New Delhi: Prestige Books,2005. p.181
38. Ibid, p.182
39. Agrawal, Beena, Mahesh Dattanis Plays A New Horizon in Indian
Theatre, Jaipur, India: Book Enclave, 2008. p. 65
40. McRae, John, A note on the play, On a Muggy Night in Mumbai, in
Collected Plays Mahesh Dattani, New Delhi: Penguin Books,
2000. p. 45
41. Nair, Anita, An unveiling of a Playwright in Three Acts. The
Gentleman, May, 2001
42. Dattani, Mahesh, Preface, Collected Plays Mahesh Dattani, New Delhi:
Penguin Books, 2000. p. XV
43. Kuthari Chaudhuri, Asha, Contemporary Indian Writers in English
Mahesh Dattani, New Delhi: Foundation Books Pvt.Ltd.
Cambridge House, 2005. p. 47

147
44. McRae, John, A note on the play, On a Muggy Night in Mumbai, in
Collected Plays Mahesh Dattani, New Delhi: Penguin Books,
2000, p.45
45. Chakrabarti, Santosh, Gray Areas: Dattanis World of Drama in The
Dramatic World of Mahesh Dattani A Critical Exploration, edited
by Amarnath Prasad, New Delhi: Sarup Book Publication Pvt.
Ltd., 2009. p.45
46. McRae, John, A note on the play, On a Muggy Night in Mumbai, in
Collected Plays Mahesh Dattani, New Delhi: Penguin Books,
2000, p. 46
47. Ibid., p. 46
48. Das, Bijay Kumar, Form and Meaning in Mahesh Dattanis Plays, New
Delhi: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd., 2008, p.23
49. Ibid., p. 97-98
50. Dattani, Mahesh, Mahesh Dattani in conversation with Bijay Kumar
Das, Form and Meaning in Mahesh Dattanis Plays, Bijay
Kumar Das, Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Ltd. New
Delhi, 2008. p. 178
51. Agrawal, Beena, Dattanis Theatrical Art and the Tradition of Indian
Theatre, in The Dramatic World of Mahesh Dattan A Critical
Exploration, Amarnath Prasad, Sarup Book Publishers Pvt. Ltd.,
New Delhi, 2009. p. 30
52. Quoted in Chittranjan Mishra, Gay Themes in Dattanis Plays, in The
Dramatic World of Mahesh Dattan A Critical Exploration by
Amarnath Prasad, p. 55
53. Roy, Elizabeth, Freak Mirrors and Grotesque Images, The Hindu, 15th
March, 2002.
54. Agrawal, Beena, Mahesh Dattanis Plays A New Horizon in Indian
Theatre, Jaipur, India: Book Enclave, 2008, p.53
55. Giddens, Anthony, The Transformation of Intimacy, Sexuality, Love
and Eroticism in Modern Societies, U.K. Polity Press, 1992. p.
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56. Dubey, Little, A Note on the Play, Thirty Days in September, in
Collected Plays Mahesh Dattani, Penguin Books, New Delhi,
2000, p.4
57. Vardan, Manisha, I am no crusader, Im a theatrical person, Mahesh
Dattani, June, 2004
58. Agrawal, Beena, Mahesh Dattanis Plays A new Horizon in Indian
Theatre, Jaipur, India: Book Enclave, 2008, p. 117
59. Horney, Karen, quoted in Agrawal, Beena, Mahesh Dattanis Plays A
new Horizon in Indian Theatre, Jaipur, India: Book Enclave,
2008.
60. Horney, Karen, Karen Danielsen Horney: Biography from
answers.com, http:/www.com/topic/karen-horney, dated 15-4-
2010 time 12.21 noon.
61. Vardan, Manisha, I am no crusader, Im a theatrical person, Mahesh
Dattani, June, 2004.
62. Kuthari Chaudhuri, Asha, Contemporary Indian Writers in English
Mahesh Dattani, New Delhi: Foundation Books Pvt. Ltd.
Cambridge House, 2005. p.73
63. Bande, Usha, Violent Responses: Murder in Fiction by Women in
Veena Singh, Literature and Ideology, Jaipur, Rawat
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64. special_salvation or salvation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/, accession
date: 18th April 19 p.m.

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